The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Tenders Resignation After Less Than a 30-Day Period in Power
The French Premier Lecornu has stepped down, under 24 hours after his cabinet was unveiled.
The presidential office confirmed the news 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 his predecessor.
Political factions in the French parliament had sharply condemned the makeup of his ministerial team, which was very close to the previous one, and promised to block its approval.
Pressure for New Vote and Government Unrest
A number of factions are now clamouring for new parliamentary polls, with certain voices urging the President to resign too - even though he has always said he will not resign before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or stepping down," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a Macron loyalist - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Background of Political Turmoil
The nation's governance has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has made it difficult for each PM to secure enough backing to enact new laws.
The previous administration was defeated in September after lawmakers refused to back his spending cuts plan, which aimed to cut state costs by $51 billion.
Economic Challenges and Market Reaction
The French shortfall hit 5.8 percent of economic output in 2024 and its national 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 equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Share prices dropped in the Paris bourse after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on the start of the week.
