France's Premier Lecornu Tenders Resignation After Under a Month in Office
The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, shortly after his cabinet was unveiled.
The French presidency made the announcement after the Prime Minister met Macron for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.
This surprising decision comes only less than a month after Lecornu was given the PM role following the downfall of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Various groups in the French parliament had fiercely criticised the structure of the new government, which was very close to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Pressure for Snap Polls and Government Unrest
Several parties are now calling for early elections, with others urging the President to step down as well - despite the fact that he has repeatedly stated he will not leave before his time in office finishes in 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or resignation," said Chenu, one of leading figures of the RN party.
The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a supporter of Macron - was the fifth French PM in a two-year span.
Context of Government Turmoil
France's political landscape has been highly unstable since mid-2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to obtain required votes to enact new laws.
The previous administration was rejected in September after lawmakers voted against his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Financial Pressures and Stock Response
The French shortfall stood at nearly 6% of the economy in the current year and its government debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after two southern European nations, and equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris bourse after the announcement about the PM broke on Monday.