The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down Following Under a 30-Day Period in Office
The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, less than a day after his ministers was presented.
The French presidency issued a statement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on Monday morning.
This unexpected development comes only 26 days after Lecornu was named premier following the downfall of the previous government of his predecessor.
Various groups in the National Assembly had fiercely criticised the structure of the new government, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and promised to block its approval.
Pressure for New Vote and Government Unrest
Several parties are now calling for early elections, with certain voices demanding the President to also leave office - even though he has always said he will not leave before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the far right National Rally (RN).
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth premier in under two years.
Context of Government Crisis
French politics has been very volatile since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.
This has posed obstacles for any prime minister to secure enough backing to pass any bills.
The previous administration was rejected in autumn after parliament voted against his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by 44 billion euros.
Financial Challenges and Stock Reaction
The French shortfall hit 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its national debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third largest government debt in the European monetary union after Greece and Italy, and equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the resignation report was released on Monday morning.
