The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Resigns After Under a Month in the Role
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, less than a day after his government team was unveiled.
The French presidency confirmed the news after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This surprising decision comes only 26 days after he was given the PM role following the downfall of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Parties across the board in the French parliament had strongly opposed the structure of the new government, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Demands for Snap Polls and Government Instability
Several parties are now calling for a snap election, with some demanding the President to step down as well - even though he has repeatedly stated he will not stand down before his term ends in 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or resignation," said 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 the fifth French PM in less than 24 months.
Background of Government Turmoil
French politics has been very volatile since last summer, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament.
This has posed obstacles for every premier to secure enough backing to approve legislation.
The former cabinet was defeated in September after lawmakers voted against his austerity budget, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by €44bn.
Economic Pressures and Stock Response
The French shortfall hit 5.8 percent of economic output in 2024 and its national debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after Italy and Greece, and equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Markets declined in the Paris exchange after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on Monday morning.