It became the shortest-lived government in modern French history. France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned just 26 days after taking office and announcing his cabinet.
- France’s Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned just 26 days after taking office and announcing his cabinet. His government became the shortest-lived government in modern French history. His cabinet was criticized by all parties in the National Assembly and faced threats of rejection.
- Michel Barnier was appointed Prime Minister last September, but within three months, he was removed from office through a no-confidence vote. His successor François Bayrou’s government also fell after nine months.
- Mr. Lecornu accepted President Emmanuel Macron’s request to work on a plan for the stability of the country. Several parties are demanding early elections and that Macron step down before his term ends in 2027.
- This resignation has increased pressure from left-wing and far-right opposition parties on Mr. Macron to either call early parliamentary elections or resign – options that the President has so far refused. Other forces, such as the Socialist Party, argued that it is now time for a left-wing prime minister to govern.
- Since the snap elections called by Mr. Macron in 2024, the lower house of France’s parliament has been stuck in a deadlock among left-wing parties, a weakened center-right coalition, and a nationalist, anti-immigration far-right bloc. No party holds an absolute majority.
- Due to this political turmoil, there was a sharp fall in shares on the Paris Stock Exchange. France’s deficit reached 5.8 percent of its gross domestic product in 2024, and its national debt stands at 114 percent of GDP. It is the third-largest public debt in the Eurozone after Greece and Italy.
UNESCO nominates first Arab leader Khaled El-Enany as Director-General of the Executive Board
- Khaled El-Enany (Egypt) has been nominated for the post of Director-General by UNESCO’s Executive Board, and member states of UNESCO will vote on this nomination during the organization’s General Conference to be held on November 6 in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.
- If confirmed by the General Assembly of the United Nations cultural agency in Uzbekistan, El-Enany will become the first Director-General of UNESCO from the Arab world, succeeding Audrey Azoulay in mid-November.
- Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ez, born in 1971, is an Egyptologist and professor of Egyptology at Helwan University, where he has been teaching for more than 30 years.
- He directed the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (2014–2016) and the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (2015–2016). From 2016 to 2022, he served as Egypt’s Minister of Antiquities and later as Minister of Tourism and Antiquities.
About UNESCO
- UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) was established on November 4, 1946.
- With 194 member states, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization contributes to peace and security by leading multilateral cooperation in education, science, culture, communication, and information.
- Headquartered in Paris, UNESCO has offices in 54 countries and employs more than 2,300 people. UNESCO oversees more than 2,000 World Heritage sites, biosphere reserves, and global geoparks; networks of creative, learning, inclusive, and sustainable cities; and more than 13,000 affiliated schools, university chairs, training, and research institutions.
