French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down After Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
The French Premier Lecornu has stepped down, under 24 hours after his government team was presented.
The Elysée palace confirmed the news after Lecornu met the French President for an meeting on Monday morning.
This surprising decision comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was named premier following the collapse of the previous government of his predecessor.
Political factions in the French parliament had strongly opposed the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Pressure for Snap Polls and Government Unrest
A number of factions are now clamouring for a snap election, with others demanding the President to also leave office - despite the fact that he has consistently affirmed he will not stand down 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 ex-defense chief and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth premier in a two-year span.
Background of Political Turmoil
The nation's governance has been highly unstable since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to obtain required votes to pass any bills.
The previous administration was defeated in autumn after parliament voted against his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by 44 billion euros.
Financial Challenges and Market Reaction
The French shortfall hit 5.8 percent of economic output in 2024 and its public debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the third largest government debt in the euro area after Greece and Italy, and equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Markets declined in the French stock market after the announcement about the PM emerged on Monday morning.
