France's Premier Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down After Less Than a 30-Day Period in Power
France's Prime Minister Lecornu has resigned, under 24 hours after his ministers was presented.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after the Prime Minister met Macron for an meeting on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only 26 days after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the downfall of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Parties across the board in the legislature had fiercely criticised the composition of the new government, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Pressure for Snap Polls and Political Unrest
Multiple political groups are now clamouring for early elections, with others calling for Macron to step down as well - even though he has consistently affirmed he will not stand down before his time in office finishes in 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or resignation," said Sébastien Chenu, one of key representatives of the RN party.
The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth French PM in less than 24 months.
Background of Political Crisis
The nation's governance has been very volatile since last summer, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for every premier to obtain required votes to approve legislation.
The previous administration was voted down in September after parliament voted against his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by €44bn.
Economic Pressures and Market Response
France's deficit hit 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its public debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third largest government debt in the European monetary union after Italy and Greece, and equal to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Markets declined in the French stock market after the news of Lecornu's resignation was released on Monday.
