The French PM Lecornu Resigns Following Less Than a 30-Day Period in Power
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, under 24 hours after his ministers was unveiled.
The Elysée palace issued a statement after Lecornu met the French President for an meeting on Monday morning.
This surprising decision comes only less than a month after Lecornu was given the PM role following the downfall of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Various groups in the National Assembly had strongly opposed the structure of his ministerial team, which was largely unchanged to the previous one, and vowed to reject it.
Pressure for New Vote and Government Instability
Several parties are now demanding a snap election, with certain voices demanding the President to resign too - although he has repeatedly stated he will not resign before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.
"The President needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or stepping down," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a ally of the President - was the fifth French PM in a two-year span.
Context of Political Crisis
The nation's governance has been very volatile since July 2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a no clear majority.
This has posed obstacles for any prime minister to obtain required votes to pass any bills.
The previous administration was voted down in September after the assembly declined to support his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by 44 billion euros.
Economic Pressures and Market Reaction
France's deficit reached 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its national debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and amounting to almost 50k euros for each resident.
Stocks fell sharply in the French stock market after the announcement about the PM emerged on Monday.
