The French PM Lecornu Steps Down Following Less Than a Month in the Role
The nation's PM Lecornu has stepped down, shortly after his government team was announced.
The French presidency made the announcement after the Prime Minister met Macron for an hour on Monday morning.
This unexpected development comes only less than a month after he was given the PM role following the collapse of the previous government of his predecessor.
Political factions in the National Assembly had sharply condemned the makeup of his ministerial team, which was very close to the previous one, and vowed to reject it.
Pressure for Snap Polls and Political Instability
Several parties are now demanding early elections, with certain voices calling for the President to also leave office - even though he has repeatedly stated he will not stand down before his time in office finishes in five years from now.
"The President needs to decide: parliament's dissolution or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of key representatives of the RN party.
Lecornu - the previous military head and a ally of the President - was the fifth premier in less than 24 months.
Context of Government Turmoil
French politics has been highly unstable since mid-2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament.
This has posed obstacles for every premier to obtain required votes to enact new laws.
The former cabinet was voted down in last month after lawmakers declined to support his austerity budget, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by $51 billion.
Financial Pressures and Stock Reaction
The French shortfall stood at nearly 6% of the economy in the current year and its government debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third highest public debt in the euro area after two southern European nations, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Stocks fell sharply in the French stock market after the news of Lecornu's resignation emerged on the start of the week.
