French Prime Minister Lecornu Resigns After Under a 30-Day Period in the Role
The nation's PM Lecornu has handed in his resignation, shortly after his government team was unveiled.
The French presidency made the announcement after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on Monday morning.
This unexpected development comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of the previous government of François Bayrou.
Various groups in the National Assembly had strongly opposed the structure of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to the previous one, and promised to block its approval.
Demands for New Vote and Political Instability
A number of factions are now calling for a snap election, with others urging the President to resign too - even though he has always said he will not stand down before his term ends in the year 2027.
"The President needs to choose: calling new elections or leaving office," said Chenu, one of leading figures of the far right National Rally (RN).
The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a ally of the President - was the fifth French PM in under two years.
Background of Political Turmoil
French politics has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has made it difficult for each PM to obtain required votes to approve legislation.
Bayrou's government 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
France's deficit stood at nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its government debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third largest government debt in the European monetary union after two southern European nations, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Stocks fell sharply in the Paris bourse after the resignation report emerged on Monday morning.