French Prime Minister Lecornu Resigns Following Under a Month in the Role
The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his ministers was unveiled.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only less than a month after he was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of the previous government of his predecessor.
Various groups in the legislature had sharply condemned the makeup of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Demands for Early Elections and Political Unrest
Several parties are now demanding early elections, with some demanding Macron to also leave office - although he has repeatedly stated he will not leave before his mandate concludes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or stepping down," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the National Rally.
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a supporter of Macron - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Context of Political Turmoil
French politics has been very volatile since last summer, when early legislative polls resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to obtain required votes to approve legislation.
Bayrou's government was rejected in autumn after lawmakers declined to support his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by €44bn.
Economic Pressures and Stock Response
The French shortfall reached nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its national 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 French stock market after the news of Lecornu's resignation emerged on Monday morning.
