France's Premier Sébastien Lecornu Tenders Resignation Following Under a 30-Day Period in Office
France's Prime Minister Lecornu has stepped down, under 24 hours after his government team was announced.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only 26 days after he was given the PM role following the downfall of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Various groups in the legislature had strongly opposed the structure of Lecornu's cabinet, which was mostly similar to the previous one, and vowed to reject it.
Calls for New Vote and Political Instability
Several parties are now demanding a snap election, with some calling for Macron to step down as well - despite the fact that he has consistently affirmed he will not leave before his mandate concludes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or resignation," said Chenu, one of leading figures of the National Rally.
Lecornu - the ex-defense chief and a supporter of Macron - was the fifth French PM in less than 24 months.
Context of Political Crisis
France's political landscape has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has made it difficult for every premier to secure enough backing to pass any bills.
Bayrou's government was defeated in last month after parliament voted against his austerity budget, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by 44 billion euros.
Financial Challenges and Market Response
The nation's budget gap hit 5.8 percent of economic output in 2024 and its national debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the eurozone after Italy and Greece, and equivalent to almost 50k euros for each resident.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris exchange after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on Monday.
