The French PM Lecornu Tenders Resignation After Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
The French Premier Lecornu has handed in his resignation, shortly after his government team was unveiled.
The Elysée palace confirmed the news after Lecornu met the French President for an meeting on Monday morning.
This unexpected development comes only 26 days after Lecornu was given the PM role following the collapse of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Political factions in the French parliament had sharply condemned the composition of the new government, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Demands for Early Elections and Government Instability
A number of factions are now clamouring for a snap election, with some demanding the President to also leave office - despite the fact that he has always said he will not leave before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of key representatives of the RN party.
The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a ally of the President - was the fifth French PM in a two-year span.
Context of Government Turmoil
France's political landscape has been very volatile since July 2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has created challenges for each PM to obtain required votes to approve legislation.
The former cabinet was voted down in last month after parliament refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by €44bn.
Economic Pressures and Stock Response
France's deficit reached 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its government debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third largest government debt in the European monetary union after two southern European nations, and amounting to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris exchange after the announcement about the PM broke on Monday morning.
