The French PM Lecornu Tenders Resignation Following Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, under 24 hours after his ministers was announced.
The French presidency made the announcement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on Monday morning.
This shock move comes only 26 days after he was named premier following the downfall of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Various groups in the French parliament had fiercely criticised the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to the previous one, and threatened to vote it down.
Calls for Early Elections and Government Unrest
Several parties are now calling for a snap election, with certain voices calling for the President to also leave office - although he has always said he will not leave before his mandate concludes in five years from now.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or leaving office," said Chenu, one of leading figures of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth premier in less than 24 months.
Background of Government Crisis
The nation's governance has been highly unstable since July 2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a no clear majority.
This has posed obstacles for each PM to secure enough backing to enact new laws.
The former cabinet was rejected in autumn after the assembly refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to slash government spending by €44bn.
Financial Pressures and Stock Reaction
France's deficit stood at 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its public debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the European monetary union after Greece and Italy, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the news of Lecornu's resignation was released on Monday morning.
