France's Premier Lecornu Steps Down After Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, under 24 hours after his government team was announced.
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 Lecornu was named premier following the downfall of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Various groups in the French parliament had strongly opposed the structure of the new government, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Pressure for New Vote and Political Unrest
Multiple political groups are now calling for a snap election, with certain voices urging Macron to resign too - although he has repeatedly stated he will not leave before his time in office finishes in five years from now.
"The President needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or stepping down," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.
Lecornu - the ex-defense chief and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth French PM in less than 24 months.
Background of Political Crisis
The nation's governance has been very volatile since last summer, when sudden national voting resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has created challenges for every premier to garner the necessary support to enact new laws.
The former cabinet was defeated in September after the assembly declined to support his austerity budget, which aimed to cut state costs by 44 billion euros.
Economic Challenges and Stock Reaction
The nation's budget gap hit 5.8 percent of economic output in 2024 and its national debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the euro area after two southern European nations, and equal to almost 50k euros for each resident.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the resignation report emerged on the start of the week.
