In France, the surprising resignation of the recently installed prime minister will plunge the country deeper into political paralysis, leaving President Emmanuel Macron with difficult options that are likely to prolong the gridlock, further unsettle financial markets and/or exacerbate social unrest. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned on Oct. 6, less than 13 hours after unveiling his new cabinet, marking the shortest tenure for a prime minister in France's Fifth Republic and the third to resign in under a year. Lecornu, who took office on Sept. 9, had spent weeks negotiating with political parties to form a viable government and explore ways to approve a budget for next year ahead of his general policy address to the National Assembly scheduled for Oct. 7. However, the cabinet announced on the evening of Oct. 5 drew immediate backlash from across the political spectrum, including opposition parties on both the left and right,...
