French Prime Minister Lecornu Resigns Following Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role
The French Premier Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his ministers was unveiled.
The French presidency issued a statement after the Prime Minister met the French President for an 60-minute discussion on Monday morning.
This shock move comes only 26 days after he was appointed prime minister following the collapse of the previous government of his predecessor.
Political factions in the legislature had sharply condemned the composition of the new government, which was largely unchanged to the previous one, and threatened to vote it down.
Demands for Snap Polls and Political Unrest
A number of factions are now calling for a snap election, with certain voices calling for the President to also leave office - despite the fact that he has consistently affirmed he will not resign before his time in office finishes in 2027.
"The President needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or resignation," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the far right National Rally (RN).
Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a ally of the President - was the fifth French PM in under two years.
Context of Government Turmoil
France's political landscape has been very volatile since last summer, when early legislative polls resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has posed obstacles for any prime minister to garner the necessary support to pass any bills.
The previous administration was voted down in autumn after lawmakers refused to back his spending cuts plan, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by €44bn.
Economic Pressures and Stock Reaction
France's deficit reached nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its public debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Share prices dropped in the Paris exchange after the announcement about the PM emerged on the start of the week.
