French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Tenders Resignation Following Under a 30-Day Period in the Role
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, under 24 hours after his government team was unveiled.
The presidential office issued a statement after Lecornu met Macron for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only under four weeks after he was given the PM role following the downfall of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Political factions in the French parliament had strongly opposed the composition of the new government, which was very close to the previous one, and promised to block its approval.
Demands for New Vote and Political Unrest
Several parties are now calling for a snap election, with certain voices demanding Macron to step down as well - despite the fact that he has consistently affirmed he will not leave before his term ends in five years from now.
"The President needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the far right National Rally (RN).
Lecornu - the previous military head and a Macron loyalist - was France's fifth prime minister in under two years.
Background of Political Turmoil
France's political landscape has been highly unstable since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a no clear majority.
This has made it difficult for every premier to garner the necessary support to approve legislation.
The previous administration was defeated in autumn after parliament refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by $51 billion.
Economic Pressures and Stock Reaction
France's deficit reached nearly 6% of the economy in the current year and its national debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third highest public debt in the eurozone after Italy and Greece, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the announcement about the PM broke on the start of the week.
