French Prime Minister Lecornu Resigns Following Under a Month in Office
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, less than a day after his cabinet was presented.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after Lecornu met the French President for an 60-minute discussion on Monday morning.
This shock move comes only 26 days after Lecornu was named premier following the collapse of the previous government of his predecessor.
Political factions in the French parliament had fiercely criticised the structure of the new government, which was very close to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Calls for Snap Polls and Political Unrest
Multiple political groups are now clamouring for early elections, with some demanding the President to resign too - even though he has always said he will not resign before his mandate concludes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: parliament's dissolution or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of key representatives of the RN party.
The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a supporter of Macron - was the fifth premier in less than 24 months.
Background of Political Crisis
The nation's governance has been highly unstable since mid-2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to secure enough backing to pass any bills.
The previous administration was rejected in autumn after the assembly voted against his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by $51 billion.
Economic Challenges and Market Reaction
France's deficit stood at 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its national debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the European monetary union after two southern European nations, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Markets declined in the French stock market after the resignation report emerged on the start of the week.
