The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down Following Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his ministers was announced.
The French presidency confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met Macron for an meeting on Monday morning.
This surprising decision comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the downfall of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Political factions in the legislature had fiercely criticised the composition of his ministerial team, which was very close to the previous one, and vowed to reject it.
Calls for Early Elections and Government Instability
A number of factions are now calling for early elections, with some demanding the President to step down as well - despite the fact that he has always said he will not stand down before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: calling new elections or stepping down," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the former armed forces minister and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth premier in under two years.
Background of Political Crisis
French politics has been very volatile since mid-2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament.
This has created challenges for each PM to obtain required votes to pass any bills.
The previous administration was rejected in September after the assembly declined to support his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Economic Challenges and Stock Reaction
The nation's budget gap stood at 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its national debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the number three debt level in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the resignation report broke on Monday.
