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 announced.
The French presidency issued a statement after the Prime Minister met Macron for an 60-minute discussion on Monday morning.
This surprising decision comes only less than a month after he was given the PM role following the dissolution of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Political factions in the French parliament had sharply condemned the makeup of Lecornu's cabinet, which was mostly similar to the previous one, and vowed to reject it.
Demands for New Vote and Government Instability
A number of factions are now demanding a snap election, with some calling for Macron to also leave office - although he has repeatedly stated he will not leave before his mandate concludes in the year 2027.
"The President needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the far right National Rally (RN).
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Context of Political Crisis
French politics has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for every premier to obtain required votes to approve legislation.
The former cabinet was defeated in September after lawmakers declined to support his spending cuts plan, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by €44bn.
Financial Challenges and Stock Reaction
The nation's budget gap hit 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its public debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the euro area after two southern European nations, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on the start of the week.
