France's Premier Lecornu Resigns After Under a Month in the Role
France's Prime Minister Lecornu has resigned, under 24 hours after his government team was unveiled.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.
This unexpected development comes only less than a month after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the collapse of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Parties across the board in the French parliament had sharply condemned the composition of the new government, which was very close to the previous one, and threatened to vote it down.
Calls for New Vote and Political Instability
A number of factions are now calling for new parliamentary polls, with others calling for Macron to also leave office - despite the fact that he has always said he will not resign before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.
"The President needs to choose: calling new elections or leaving office," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a supporter of Macron - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Background of Political Crisis
France's political landscape has been highly unstable since mid-2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.
This has made it difficult for any prime minister to secure enough backing to approve legislation.
Bayrou's government was rejected in September after parliament voted against his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Financial Challenges and Stock Reaction
France's deficit hit 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its national debt is 114 percent of GDP.
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 announcement about the PM was released on Monday.
