France's Premier Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down Following Under a 30-Day Period in Power
France's Prime Minister Lecornu has resigned, less than a day after his government team was unveiled.
The presidential office made the announcement after Lecornu met Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This surprising decision comes only less than a month after he was named premier following the dissolution of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Political factions in the French parliament had strongly opposed the composition of the new government, which was largely unchanged to the previous one, and promised to block its approval.
Pressure for Snap Polls and Political Unrest
A number of factions are now demanding early elections, with some demanding Macron to step down as well - despite the fact that he has consistently affirmed he will not resign before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the RN party.
Lecornu - the previous military head and a ally of the President - was the fifth French PM in under two years.
Context of Political Turmoil
French politics has been highly unstable since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a hung parliament.
This has posed obstacles for every premier to garner the necessary support to pass any bills.
The previous administration was voted down in September after parliament declined to support his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by 44 billion euros.
Financial Challenges and Stock Reaction
The nation's budget gap reached 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its national debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after two southern European nations, and equal to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Stocks fell sharply in the French stock market after the announcement about the PM broke on Monday.
