Oct 06, Kathmandu - French President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Le Corneaux on Monday. He resigned just hours after announcing his cabinet. His resignation has plunged Europe’s leading nation back into political deadlock.

Macron appointed former defense minister Le Corneaux as prime minister last month. But the new cabinet, unveiled on Sunday evening, has drawn sharp criticism in political circles.

Le Corneaux has the difficult task of getting an austerity budget for next year through parliament. Lawmakers are deeply divided. His two immediate predecessors, François Bayrou and Michel Barnier, were ousted from the legislature over a spending plan impasse.

France’s public debt has now reached a historic high, official figures showed last week. The country’s debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio is now the third-highest in the European Union, behind Greece and Italy. It is almost double the 60 percent limit allowed by European Union (EU) rules.

For the past three years, the government has adopted a method of passing the annual budget without a vote in parliament. Although the constitution allows for such a procedure, the opposition has strongly criticized it, questioning the democratic practice.

But Le Cornouaille only last week promised to enable lawmakers to vote directly on the budget bill.

President Macron called snap parliamentary elections in mid-year last year in an attempt to consolidate his political power. But the move backfired. As a result, the pro-Macron coalition remained in the minority in the assembly. This has deepened today’s political instability.