France's Premier Lecornu Steps Down Following Less Than a Month in Office
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his ministers was presented.
The presidential office confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This surprising decision comes only 26 days after Lecornu was named premier following the downfall of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Various groups in the French parliament had sharply condemned the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Calls for Early Elections and Political Instability
Multiple political groups are now demanding early elections, with others urging the President to step down as well - even though he has always said he will not leave before his term ends in 2027.
"The President needs to choose: parliament's dissolution or stepping down," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the former armed forces minister and a Macron loyalist - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Background of Political Turmoil
The nation's governance has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a hung parliament.
This has created challenges for each PM to garner the necessary support to enact new laws.
Bayrou's government was rejected in autumn after parliament refused to back his spending cuts plan, which aimed to cut state costs by €44bn.
Economic Pressures and Market Response
The French shortfall reached 5.8 percent of economic output in 2024 and its national debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third highest public debt in the European monetary union after Italy and Greece, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the news of Lecornu's resignation emerged on the start of the week.
