French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Tenders Resignation After Less Than a Month in Power
The French Premier Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his government team was presented.
The French presidency issued a statement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only less than a month after he was appointed prime minister following the downfall of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Various groups in the French parliament had strongly opposed the makeup of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to Bayrou's, and promised to block its approval.
Calls for New Vote and Political Instability
Several parties are now clamouring for new parliamentary polls, with others calling for the President to also leave office - although he has repeatedly stated he will not resign before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: calling new elections or leaving office," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the RN party.
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a ally of the President - was the fifth French PM in a two-year span.
Background of Political Crisis
The nation's governance has been highly unstable since July 2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a no clear majority.
This has posed obstacles for every premier to garner the necessary support to enact new laws.
The former cabinet was defeated in last month after lawmakers refused to back his spending cuts plan, which aimed to cut state costs by $51 billion.
Financial Pressures and Market Reaction
The French shortfall hit nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its public debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after Italy and Greece, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the resignation report emerged on Monday.
