French Prime Minister Lecornu Resigns Following Less Than a Month in the Role
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, under 24 hours after his cabinet was announced.
The French presidency confirmed the news after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on the start of the week.
This unexpected development comes only under four weeks after he was given the PM role following the collapse of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Various groups in the National Assembly had sharply condemned the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and promised to block its approval.
Demands for Snap Polls and Government Unrest
A number of factions are now demanding early elections, with some urging the President to step down as well - although he has consistently affirmed he will not resign before his mandate concludes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the former armed forces minister and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in a two-year span.
Background of Political Turmoil
France's political landscape has been highly unstable since last summer, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has created challenges for every premier to secure enough backing to approve legislation.
Bayrou's government was voted down in autumn after the assembly refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by $51 billion.
Economic Challenges and Stock Reaction
The French shortfall reached nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its government debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and amounting to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Share prices dropped in the French stock market after the resignation report emerged on the start of the week.
