The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Resigns After Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, under 24 hours after his ministers was unveiled.
The French presidency issued a statement after the Prime Minister met Macron for an meeting on Monday morning.
This surprising decision comes only less than a month after he was named premier following the dissolution of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Political factions in the French parliament had fiercely criticised the makeup of his ministerial team, which was mostly similar to the previous one, and threatened to vote it down.
Pressure for Snap Polls and Political Instability
Several parties are now clamouring for early elections, with some demanding the President to step down as well - even though he has always said he will not stand down before his mandate concludes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: calling new elections or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of key representatives of the far right National Rally (RN).
The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth premier in less than 24 months.
Context of Political Turmoil
The nation's governance has been highly unstable since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to secure enough backing to enact new laws.
The former cabinet was defeated in autumn after the assembly refused to back his austerity budget, which aimed to slash government spending by €44bn.
Financial Pressures and Stock Reaction
The French shortfall stood at nearly 6% of the economy in the current year and its public debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the European monetary union after Greece and Italy, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris exchange after the news of Lecornu's resignation emerged on Monday.
