The French PM Lecornu Steps Down After Under a Month in the Role
France's Prime Minister Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his ministers was presented.
The presidential office made the announcement after Lecornu met Macron for an 60-minute discussion on Monday morning.
This unexpected development comes only under four weeks after he was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Parties across the board in the legislature had strongly opposed the structure of the new government, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Pressure for New Vote and Political Instability
A number of factions are now demanding early elections, with some calling for Macron to step down as well - despite the fact that he has repeatedly stated he will not resign before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or stepping down," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a Macron loyalist - was France's fifth prime minister in a two-year span.
Background of Political Turmoil
French politics has been highly unstable since July 2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a no clear majority.
This has created challenges for each PM to obtain required votes to enact new laws.
Bayrou's government was defeated in last month after the assembly refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Financial Challenges and Market Reaction
The French shortfall hit 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its national debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the number three debt level in the euro area after two southern European nations, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Share prices dropped in the French stock market after the news of Lecornu's resignation was released on Monday morning.
