French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Resigns Following Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his government team was unveiled.
The presidential office made the announcement after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on Monday morning.
This unexpected development comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the collapse of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Parties across the board in the legislature had fiercely criticised the composition of the new government, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Pressure for Snap Polls and Political Unrest
A number of factions are now demanding new parliamentary polls, with others demanding Macron to also leave office - even though he has repeatedly stated he will not leave before his time in office finishes in 2027.
"The President needs to choose: calling new elections or stepping down," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the RN party.
Lecornu - the ex-defense chief and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth premier in a two-year span.
Context of Government Turmoil
French politics has been highly unstable since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.
This has made it difficult for each PM to obtain required votes to pass any bills.
Bayrou's government was voted down in autumn after the assembly refused to back his austerity budget, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Financial Pressures and Market Response
France's deficit stood at 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its government debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the eurozone after Italy and Greece, and equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris bourse after the news of Lecornu's resignation was released on the start of the week.
