The French PM Lecornu Steps Down After Less Than a Month in Office
The French Premier Lecornu has stepped down, less than a day after his ministers was unveiled.
The French presidency confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on Monday morning.
This unexpected development comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was given the PM role following the collapse of the previous government of his predecessor.
Political factions in the National Assembly had fiercely criticised 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 Government Instability
Several parties are now demanding early elections, with some calling for Macron to also leave office - although he has always said he will not leave before his time in office finishes in five years from now.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of leading figures of the far right National Rally (RN).
Lecornu - the ex-defense chief and a ally of the President - was the fifth French PM in less than 24 months.
Background of Political Turmoil
France's political landscape has been markedly turbulent since July 2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for every premier to obtain required votes to approve legislation.
The former cabinet was voted down in September after the assembly refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to slash government spending by $51 billion.
Financial Challenges and Stock Response
The French shortfall stood at 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its public debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after two southern European nations, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Share prices dropped in the French stock market after the announcement about the PM broke on Monday.
