The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down After Less Than a 30-Day Period in Power
The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his ministers was presented.
The presidential office made the announcement after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.
This unexpected development comes only under four weeks after he was named premier following the collapse of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Political factions in the French parliament had sharply condemned the structure of his ministerial team, which was mostly similar to the previous one, and threatened to vote it down.
Pressure for Snap Polls and Political Unrest
A number of factions are now demanding a snap election, with certain voices urging the President to resign too - even though he has consistently affirmed he will not resign before his term ends in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: calling new elections or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the RN party.
Lecornu - the ex-defense chief and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth French PM in under two years.
Background of Political Turmoil
France's political landscape has been very volatile since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for each PM to obtain required votes to approve legislation.
Bayrou's government was rejected in last month after lawmakers voted against his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Financial Pressures and Stock Response
The French shortfall stood at 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its public 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.
Share prices dropped in the Paris bourse after the announcement about the PM broke on Monday morning.
