France's Premier Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down Following Under a 30-Day Period in the Role
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, less than a day after his ministers was unveiled.
The Elysée palace confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met the French President for an meeting on Monday morning.
This unexpected development comes only less than a month after he was given the PM role following the downfall of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Parties across the board in the French parliament had strongly opposed the makeup of his ministerial team, which was largely unchanged to the previous one, and vowed to reject it.
Demands for Early Elections and Government Instability
Multiple political groups are now clamouring for early elections, with others calling for Macron to also leave office - despite the fact that he has always said he will not stand down before his term ends in 2027.
"The President needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or leaving office," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the far right National Rally (RN).
The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth premier in a two-year span.
Context of Government Crisis
France's political landscape has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for every premier to secure enough backing to pass any bills.
Bayrou's government was voted down in September after parliament voted against his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Economic Pressures and Stock Response
France's deficit reached nearly 6% of the economy in the current year and its public debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the number three debt level in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and equal to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Share prices dropped in the French stock market after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on Monday morning.
