French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Tenders Resignation After Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, less than a day after his cabinet was presented.
The Elysée palace issued a statement after the Prime Minister met Macron for an 60-minute discussion on Monday morning.
This shock move comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was named premier following the downfall of the previous government of his predecessor.
Various groups in the French parliament had fiercely criticised the structure of his ministerial team, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Pressure for Early Elections and Government Unrest
Multiple political groups are now calling for new parliamentary polls, with certain voices urging Macron to step down as well - despite the fact that he has repeatedly stated he will not resign before his term ends in 2027.
"The President needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or leaving office," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the RN party.
The outgoing PM - the former armed forces minister and a ally of the President - was the fifth premier in under two years.
Background of Political Crisis
French politics has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to obtain required votes to pass any bills.
The previous administration was voted down in September after parliament declined to support his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Economic Challenges and Stock Reaction
France's deficit stood at nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its public debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after Italy and Greece, and amounting to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Share prices dropped in the Paris bourse after the resignation report was released on Monday morning.
