French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Resigns Following Less Than a Month in Power
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, shortly after his cabinet was presented.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after the Prime Minister 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 prior administration of François Bayrou.
Parties across the board in the legislature had strongly opposed the composition of his ministerial team, which was largely unchanged to the previous one, and promised to block its approval.
Calls for New Vote and Government Unrest
A number of factions are now calling for early elections, with certain voices urging the President to step down as well - even though he has repeatedly stated he will not stand down before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"The President needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or leaving office," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the far right National Rally (RN).
The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth premier in under two years.
Background of Government Crisis
The nation's governance has been markedly turbulent since last summer, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for every premier to garner the necessary support to enact new laws.
The previous administration was voted down in autumn after the assembly voted against his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by $51 billion.
Financial Pressures and Market Reaction
The French shortfall reached nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its national debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third largest government debt in the euro area after two southern European nations, and equal to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the announcement about the PM was released on the start of the week.
