The French PM Lecornu Steps Down Following Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
France's Prime Minister Lecornu has handed in his resignation, shortly after his cabinet was unveiled.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after the Prime Minister met the French President for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only under four weeks after he was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Parties across the board in the legislature had sharply condemned the makeup of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to the previous one, and vowed to reject it.
Calls for Snap Polls and Government Instability
A number of factions are now calling for a snap election, with some demanding Macron to resign too - despite the fact that he has repeatedly stated he will not stand down before his mandate concludes in five years from now.
"Macron needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or resignation," said Sébastien Chenu, one of key representatives of the National Rally.
Lecornu - the ex-defense chief and a supporter of Macron - was the fifth premier in a two-year span.
Background of Political Crisis
The nation's governance has been very volatile since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a no clear majority.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to secure enough backing to enact new laws.
The previous administration was voted down in last month after the assembly declined to support his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to slash government spending by €44bn.
Economic Challenges and Stock Reaction
France's deficit hit nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its public debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the eurozone after Italy and Greece, and amounting to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris exchange after the announcement about the PM was released on Monday morning.
