The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Resigns After Under a 30-Day Period in Office
The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his government team was announced.
The French presidency issued a statement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on the start of the week.
This unexpected development comes only under four weeks after he was named premier following the dissolution of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Political factions in the legislature had sharply condemned the composition of his ministerial team, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and threatened to vote it down.
Calls for Snap Polls and Political Unrest
A number of factions are now calling for new parliamentary polls, with certain voices demanding the President to step down as well - although he has always said he will not stand down before his term ends in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of key representatives of the far right National Rally (RN).
The outgoing PM - the former armed forces minister and a supporter of Macron - was the fifth French PM in under two years.
Context of Political Turmoil
The nation's governance has been very volatile since last summer, when early legislative polls resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has made it difficult for each PM to garner the necessary support to enact new laws.
The former cabinet was voted down in September after the assembly voted against his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Financial Challenges and Market Reaction
The French shortfall stood at 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its national debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the number three debt level in the eurozone after Italy and Greece, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Markets declined in the Paris exchange after the resignation report broke on Monday morning.
