French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Tenders Resignation Following Under a Month in the Role
The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his ministers was presented.
The presidential office confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.
This surprising decision comes only less than a month after he was named premier following the dissolution of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Various groups in the French parliament had strongly opposed the structure of his ministerial team, which was mostly similar to the previous one, and threatened to vote it down.
Demands for New Vote and Government Unrest
Multiple political groups are now calling for new parliamentary polls, with some demanding the President to resign too - despite the fact that he has always said he will not leave before his term ends in 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or leaving office," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the RN party.
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Background of Government Crisis
French politics has been highly unstable since last summer, when early legislative polls resulted in a no clear majority.
This has posed obstacles for any prime minister to secure enough backing to pass any bills.
The former cabinet was voted down in autumn after lawmakers declined to support his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by €44bn.
Financial Challenges and Stock Reaction
France's deficit stood at 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its public debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Share prices dropped in the French stock market after the news of Lecornu's resignation was released on Monday.
