France's Premier Lecornu Resigns After Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
France's Prime Minister Lecornu has resigned, under 24 hours after his government team was announced.
The Elysée palace made the announcement after the Prime Minister met Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only less than a month after Lecornu was named premier following the downfall of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Political factions in the National Assembly had sharply condemned the composition of his ministerial team, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Demands for Snap Polls and Political Instability
A number of factions are now clamouring for early elections, with others demanding Macron to resign too - even though he has consistently affirmed he will not leave before his mandate concludes in five years from now.
"Macron needs to decide: calling new elections or resignation," said Sébastien Chenu, one of leading figures of the RN party.
Lecornu - the previous military head and a supporter of Macron - was the fifth French PM in less than 24 months.
Background of Political Crisis
France's political landscape has been very volatile since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a hung parliament.
This has created challenges for every premier to garner the necessary support to pass any bills.
The previous administration was voted down in autumn after the assembly refused to back his austerity budget, which aimed to cut state costs by $51 billion.
Financial Challenges and Stock Response
France's deficit reached nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its government debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the number three debt level in the eurozone after two southern European nations, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris bourse after the resignation report emerged on Monday.
