France's Premier Lecornu Steps Down After Less Than a 30-Day Period in Power
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, under 24 hours after his government team was unveiled.
The presidential office confirmed the news after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on Monday morning.
This shock move comes only 26 days after he was named premier following the collapse of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Various groups in the National Assembly had strongly opposed the composition of the new government, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and promised to block its approval.
Demands for Snap Polls and Political Unrest
A number of factions are now demanding a snap election, with some calling for the President to step down as well - even though he has repeatedly stated he will not stand down before his time in office finishes in 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: parliament's dissolution or resignation," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the RN party.
Lecornu - the previous military head and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth French PM in under two years.
Background of Government Turmoil
French politics has been highly unstable since July 2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a hung parliament.
This has created challenges for every premier to obtain required votes to enact new laws.
The previous administration was rejected in September after the assembly refused to back his austerity budget, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Financial Challenges and Stock Reaction
The French shortfall stood at 5.8% of GDP in the current year and its national debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third largest government debt in the European monetary union after Italy and Greece, and equivalent to almost 50k euros for each resident.
Stocks fell sharply in the French stock market after the resignation report broke on Monday.
