The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Tenders Resignation Following Less Than a Month in Power
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, under 24 hours after his ministers was presented.
The French presidency confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This surprising decision comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was given the PM role following the dissolution of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Various groups in the National Assembly had strongly opposed the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Demands for New Vote and Political Instability
Multiple political groups are now calling for early elections, with some calling for the President to step down as well - even though he has always said he will not leave before his term ends in 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: dissolution of parliament or resignation," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the RN party.
The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth premier in a two-year span.
Context of Political Turmoil
France's political landscape has been markedly turbulent since July 2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has created challenges for any prime minister to secure enough backing to enact new laws.
Bayrou's government was rejected in autumn after lawmakers refused to back his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by €44bn.
Economic Challenges and Market Reaction
France's deficit 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 highest public debt in the European monetary union after Italy and Greece, and equal to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Share prices dropped in the Paris bourse after the resignation report broke on the start of the week.
