France's Premier Lecornu Resigns Following Under a 30-Day Period in Office
The French Premier Lecornu has handed in his resignation, under 24 hours after his government team was unveiled.
The Elysée palace confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met Macron for an 60-minute discussion on Monday morning.
This surprising decision comes only less than a month after he was appointed prime minister following the collapse of the previous government of his predecessor.
Political factions in the legislature had sharply condemned the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Pressure for Early Elections and Government Instability
A number of factions are now demanding new parliamentary polls, with certain voices urging the President to also leave office - despite the fact that he has consistently affirmed he will not resign before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: calling new elections or resignation," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the far right National Rally (RN).
Lecornu - the previous military head and a ally of the President - was the fifth French PM in less than 24 months.
Background of Government Turmoil
France's political landscape has been highly unstable since mid-2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.
This has created challenges for every premier to garner the necessary support to approve legislation.
The previous administration was defeated in last month after parliament refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by $51 billion.
Financial Pressures and Market Reaction
The nation's budget gap hit 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its public debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the third largest government debt in the European monetary union after two southern European nations, and equal to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris exchange after the news of Lecornu's resignation was released on Monday morning.
