France's Premier Lecornu Steps Down Following Under a 30-Day Period in Office
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, less than a day after his government team was presented.
The Elysée palace issued a statement after Lecornu met Macron for an 60-minute discussion on Monday morning.
This shock move comes only 26 days after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Various groups in the National Assembly had fiercely criticised the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Demands for Early Elections and Government Unrest
Multiple political groups are now calling for a snap election, with others calling for the President to step down as well - even though he has repeatedly stated he will not stand down before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"The President needs to pick: calling new elections or resignation," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the RN party.
Lecornu - the previous military head and a supporter of Macron - was the fifth French PM in less than 24 months.
Background of Political Turmoil
France's political landscape has been very volatile since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has posed obstacles for every premier to obtain required votes to approve legislation.
The previous administration was voted down in September after lawmakers refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by $51 billion.
Financial Pressures and Stock Response
The French shortfall reached nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its national debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the European monetary union after Italy and Greece, and equal to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Markets declined in the Paris exchange after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on Monday.
