French Prime Minister Lecornu Tenders Resignation Following Under a 30-Day Period in the Role
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, less than a day after his ministers was unveiled.
The presidential office confirmed the news after Lecornu met Macron for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.
This surprising decision comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was given the PM role following the collapse of the previous government of his predecessor.
Various groups in the National Assembly had strongly opposed the makeup of the new government, which was largely unchanged to the previous one, and promised to block its approval.
Demands for Early Elections and Political Instability
Several parties are now demanding new parliamentary polls, with certain voices urging Macron to resign too - even though he has repeatedly stated he will not leave before his term ends in 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: calling new elections or resignation," said Sébastien Chenu, one of key representatives of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the former armed forces minister and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Context of Government Turmoil
The nation's governance has been very volatile since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has posed obstacles for each PM to secure enough backing to enact new laws.
The previous administration was rejected in last month after lawmakers declined to support his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by €44bn.
Financial Pressures and Market Response
The French shortfall hit nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its national debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the euro area after two southern European nations, and equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Markets declined in the French stock market after the resignation report was released on Monday.
