French Prime Minister Lecornu Steps Down After Under a 30-Day Period in the Role
The nation's PM Lecornu has stepped down, under 24 hours after his ministers was presented.
The French presidency issued a statement after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on the start of the week.
This surprising decision comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the downfall of the previous government of his predecessor.
Parties across the board in the French parliament had fiercely criticised the structure of the new government, which was very close to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Pressure for Early Elections and Political Unrest
Several parties are now calling for early elections, with some demanding the President to also leave office - although he has always said he will not leave before his term ends in 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: calling new elections or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the RN party.
Lecornu - the ex-defense chief and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in a two-year span.
Context of Political Crisis
The nation's governance has been highly unstable since last summer, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has posed obstacles for every premier to garner the necessary support to pass any bills.
The previous administration was defeated in last month after the assembly declined to support his austerity budget, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by €44bn.
Financial Challenges and Stock Response
The nation's budget gap stood at 5.8 percent of economic output in 2024 and its public debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the European monetary union after two southern European nations, and equal to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the resignation report broke on Monday.
