French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Resigns Following Less Than a 30-Day Period in Power
The nation's PM 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 the French President for an hour on Monday morning.
This surprising decision comes only under four weeks after he was named premier following the collapse of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Parties across the board in the legislature had fiercely criticised the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to the previous one, and vowed to reject it.
Demands for New Vote and Government Instability
Multiple political groups are now demanding new parliamentary polls, with some calling for the President to also leave office - although he has always said he will not resign before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a supporter of Macron - was France's fifth prime minister in under two years.
Background of Political Turmoil
The nation's governance has been very volatile since mid-2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to garner the necessary support to enact new laws.
The previous administration was rejected in autumn after the assembly refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by €44bn.
Financial Pressures and Market Response
The nation's budget gap hit 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its government debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the number three debt level in the euro area after Greece and Italy, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Stocks fell sharply in the French stock market after the announcement about the PM was released on the start of the week.
