France's newly appointed prime minister, Sebastien Lecornu, resigned on Monday, only 14 hours after naming his Cabinet, the presidency said.

During a public address on Monday morning after announcing his resignation, Lecornu said cooperation and consensus are lacking among France's political parties, making forming a government impossible. 

"Being prime minister is a difficult task, doubtless even a bit harder at the moment, but one cannot be prime minister when the conditions aren't fulfilled," Lecornu said.

"I was ready to compromise, but each party wanted the other to adopt its entire program," he said.

Lecornu's Cabinet picks met particular resistance from the conservative Republicans party, who were angry about Lecornu tapping former Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire to head the Defense Ministry

Conservative leader Bruno Retailleau said Lecornu had not informed him that Le Maire would be part of the government. 

"It's a matter of trust," he told broadcaster TF1. 

Lecornu blamed the "egos" of opposition politicians for not being able to strike compromises with rival parties.

"You should always prefer your country to your party," he added.

Le Maire, who has previously served as economy and finance minister, said Monday evening he would withdraw from his planned appointment as defense minister. 

"I hope that this decision will allow discussions to resume with a view to forming a new government, which France needs," he wrote on X.

What happens next?

On Monday evening, Elysee Palace issued a statement calling for Lecornu to conduct "final negotiations by Wednesday evening to define a platform for action and stability for the country," in an apparent last-ditch attempt to find a way out of the crisis. 

It remains unclear what task Lecornu is expected to carry out. Macron is allowed under France's constitution to reappoint Lecornu, and it has been speculated in French media that this is one way out of the immediate crisis for Macron. 

Macron must now decide either to name a new head of government or to dissolve the National Assembly, and call early legislative elections.

France in the midst of a political crisis

Lecornu's resignation was unexpected, marking a further escalation of France's political crisis.

The Cabinet's appointment came after weeks of consultations with political parties across the political divide. It was about to hold its first meeting Monday afternoon.

Political deadlock in France comes as no party or group holds a majority in parliament.

France's political situation has become increasingly unstable since President Emmanuel Macron's 2022 reelection, with the leader's decision to call a snap parliamentary election deepening the crisis further.

On September 8, former Prime Minister Francois Bayrou lost a parliamentary confidence vote over a planned austerity budget. This led him to step down as head of the minority government. The following day, Macron appointed Lecornu.

Lecornu, a close ally of Macron, was France's fifth prime minister in two years. 

How did French politicians react to the resignation?

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen reacted to Lecornu's resignation by calling for new parliamentary elections as the only feasible solution to the current political situation.

"I demand the National Assembly to be dissolved," Le Pen posted on her X account.

The far-left France Unbowed party also called for Macron's departure. Meanwhile, voices on the left called for the revival of a coalition of leftists, socialists, greens, and communists.

Outgoing French Interior Minister Bruno Retallieau urged President Macron to speak about the current political situation in the country soon.

"If there is deadlock, then we will have to return to the voting booth. But I think there are other ways before it comes to that," the head of the right-wing Les Republicains (LR) party told TF1 television.

Investors were rattled by the resignation, causing the CAC-40 index of leading French companies to plummet. On Friday, the index closed nearly 2% lower.

In Berlin, a German government spokesperson said that the resignation of Lecornu does not hinder Europe and Germany's ability to act.

"A stable France is also an important contribution to stability in Europe," the spokesperson said. "But I have no reason to doubt that there is stability in France too."

Edited by: Dmytro Hubenko