Closing summary
We’re wrapping up our live coverage for today, here’s a recap of one of the most turbulent days in recent French politics:
Just as many across France were launching into their workday, news broke that the country’s prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, had resigned.
The swift, unexpected resignation came after allies and foes alike threatened to topple the new government, leaving Lecornu blaming the “egos” of opposition politicians.
His shock departure – which highlighted the deep divisions in the French parliament as the eurozone’s second-largest economy struggles to put its finances in order – drove stocks and the euro sharply lower.
The resignation was yet another hint of the longstanding political crisis that has gripped France for more than a year, after Macron called legislative elections in the summer of 2024 which ended in a hung parliament.
It was the shortest stint in office ever for a prime minister in modern France. Lecornu was President Emmanuel Macron’s fifth prime minister in two years. He stayed in the job for only 27 days and his government lasted 14 hours.
Macron’s opponents immediately seized on the moment. The far-right National Rally called on him to either call for new snap elections or resign while across the spectrum on the left, France Unbowed also called for Macron’s departure.
Everyone is now waiting to hear whether Macron will respond by resigning, calling another snap election or appointing another prime minister. But hours after the resignation was made public, there has been little sign of Macron. Video captured by broadcaster BFMTV showed him on a solitary stroll in Paris, but he has yet to address the country.
Greta Thunberg, along with the 170 other rights campaigners who took part in the Gaza-bound aid flotilla, are expected to land soon in Greece after being deported by Israel.
On Saturday, the Guardian obtained correspondence in which Thunberg told Swedish officials she was being subjected to harsh treatment in Israeli custody. An official who has visited the activist in prison said Thunberg had claimed she was detained in a cell infested with bedbugs, with too little food and water.
Israeli officials said the allegations were “complete lies” noting that detainees were given “access to water, food and toilets; they were not denied access to legal counsel, and all their legal rights, including access to medical care, were fully upheld.”
The Guardian has set up a live feed to track Thunberg and the others as they arrive. You can follow the blog for updates or watch here:
