The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down Following Under a Month in Power
The French Premier Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his cabinet was unveiled.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after Lecornu met Macron for an meeting on the start of the week.
This unexpected development comes only less than a month after he was named premier following the dissolution of the previous government of his predecessor.
Parties across the board in the French parliament had fiercely criticised the composition of his ministerial team, which was very close to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Calls for New Vote and Political Unrest
A number of factions are now clamouring for a snap election, with some urging the President to resign too - even though he has repeatedly stated he will not stand down before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: calling new elections or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of key representatives of the RN party.
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a supporter of Macron - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Context of Government 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 pass any bills.
Bayrou's government was defeated in autumn after the assembly voted against his spending cuts plan, which aimed to cut state costs by €44bn.
Financial Pressures and Market Reaction
The French shortfall reached nearly 6% of the economy in the current year and its public debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and amounting to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris bourse after the resignation report broke on Monday morning.
