France's Premier Sébastien Lecornu Resigns Following Under a Month in the Role
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, shortly after his cabinet was announced.
The presidential office made the announcement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This unexpected development comes only 26 days after he was given the PM role following the downfall of the previous government of his predecessor.
Parties across the board in the legislature had strongly opposed the makeup of the new government, which was very close to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Pressure for New Vote and Political Instability
A number of factions are now clamouring for early elections, with certain voices urging the President to resign too - although he has consistently affirmed he will not resign before his time in office finishes in 2027.
"The President needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the RN party.
The outgoing PM - the former armed forces minister and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth French PM in under two years.
Background of Government Crisis
French politics has been markedly turbulent since July 2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a no clear majority.
This has made it difficult for every premier to garner the necessary support to pass any bills.
The previous administration was defeated in September after the assembly declined to support his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by 44 billion euros.
Financial Pressures and Stock Reaction
The French shortfall reached 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its national debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third largest government debt in the European monetary union after Italy and Greece, and equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris bourse after the announcement about the PM emerged on Monday.