French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Resigns After Less Than a Month in Office
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, less than a day after his ministers was announced.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only 26 days after Lecornu was named premier following the collapse of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Political factions in the National Assembly had sharply condemned the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to Bayrou's, and promised to block its approval.
Calls for Early Elections and Government Instability
A number of factions are now calling for early elections, with certain voices urging Macron to step down as well - although he has consistently affirmed he will not stand down before his term ends in the year 2027.
"The President needs to choose: calling new elections or resignation," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the RN party.
The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Background of Government Turmoil
The nation's governance has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a no clear majority.
This has posed obstacles for every premier to garner the necessary support to approve legislation.
The former cabinet was rejected in autumn after parliament voted against his austerity budget, which aimed to cut state costs by €44bn.
Economic Challenges and Stock Response
France's deficit stood at 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its government debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the euro area after Italy and Greece, and equal to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Markets declined in the French stock market after the news of Lecornu's resignation emerged on the start of the week.
