The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Tenders Resignation Following Less Than a 30-Day Period in Power
The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, shortly after his ministers was announced.
The presidential office made the announcement after Lecornu met Macron for an hour on Monday morning.
This surprising decision comes only less than a month after Lecornu was named premier following the dissolution of the previous government of his predecessor.
Political factions in the French parliament had fiercely criticised the composition of the new government, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Demands for Early Elections and Government Instability
Several parties are now clamouring for new parliamentary polls, with certain voices calling for Macron to step down as well - even though he has repeatedly stated he will not stand down before his mandate concludes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or stepping down," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the far right National Rally (RN).
The outgoing PM - the former armed forces minister and a supporter of Macron - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Background of Government Turmoil
The nation's governance has been very volatile since mid-2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has made it difficult for every premier to obtain required votes to pass any bills.
Bayrou's government was defeated in autumn after lawmakers refused to back his spending cuts plan, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by 44 billion euros.
Financial Challenges and Stock Reaction
The French shortfall reached nearly 6% of the economy in the current year and its government debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the eurozone after two southern European nations, 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.
