French Prime Minister Lecornu Tenders Resignation Following Under a Month in Power
The French Premier Lecornu has handed in his resignation, under 24 hours after his ministers was unveiled.
The Elysée palace confirmed the news after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only under four weeks after he was named premier following the dissolution of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Political factions in the French parliament had strongly opposed the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Pressure for New Vote and Government Instability
Several parties are now calling for new parliamentary polls, with some urging the President to resign too - even though he has always said he will not leave before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: calling new elections or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of leading figures of the far right National Rally (RN).
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth French PM in under two years.
Context of Government Turmoil
The nation's governance has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a hung parliament.
This has created challenges for any prime minister to garner the necessary support to enact new laws.
The former cabinet was voted down in last month after lawmakers declined to support his austerity budget, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by 44 billion euros.
Economic Pressures and Market Reaction
France's deficit reached 5.8% of GDP in the current year and its government debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the eurozone after Italy and Greece, and amounting to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Share prices dropped in the Paris bourse after the resignation report broke on Monday.
