France's Premier Lecornu Steps Down Following Under a 30-Day Period in Power
The nation's PM Lecornu has handed in his resignation, shortly after his government team was presented.
The Elysée palace issued a statement after the Prime Minister met the French President for an hour on the start of the week.
This unexpected development comes only 26 days after he was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of the previous government of his predecessor.
Political factions in the National Assembly had sharply condemned the makeup of his ministerial team, which was very close to the previous one, and threatened to vote it down.
Pressure for Early Elections and Government Instability
Multiple political groups are now calling for early elections, with certain voices urging Macron to step down as well - although he has always said he will not leave before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to decide: parliament's dissolution or stepping down," said Chenu, one of leading figures of the far right National Rally (RN).
The outgoing PM - the former armed forces minister and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.
Context of Political Turmoil
French politics has been very volatile since mid-2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a hung parliament.
This has posed obstacles for any prime minister to secure enough backing to pass any bills.
The previous administration was rejected in September after parliament voted against his spending cuts plan, which aimed to cut state costs by €44bn.
Financial Challenges and Market Reaction
The nation's budget gap reached 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its government debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the euro area after two southern European nations, and equal to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Markets declined in the French stock market after the announcement about the PM emerged on the start of the week.
