French Prime Minister Lecornu Resigns After Under a Month in Power
The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, under 24 hours after his ministers was presented.
The French presidency made the announcement after Lecornu met Macron for an meeting on the start of the week.
This unexpected development comes only 26 days after Lecornu was named premier following the dissolution of the previous government of his predecessor.
Political factions in the National Assembly had sharply condemned the makeup of Lecornu's cabinet, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and promised to block its approval.
Pressure for Early Elections and Political Unrest
Several parties are now demanding early elections, with others urging the President to resign too - although he has always said he will not resign before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or resignation," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the National Rally.
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a supporter of Macron - was the fifth French PM in under two years.
Background of Government Turmoil
French politics has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament.
This has created challenges for every premier to obtain required votes to enact new laws.
The previous administration was rejected in September after parliament declined to support his spending cuts plan, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by $51 billion.
Economic Pressures and Stock Reaction
The French shortfall hit 5.8% of GDP in the current year 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 50k euros for each resident.
Markets declined in the Paris exchange after the news of Lecornu's resignation emerged on the start of the week.
