The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down Following Less Than a Month in Office

The French Premier Lecornu has stepped down, less than a day after his government team was unveiled.

The presidential office made the announcement after Lecornu met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on Monday morning.

This shock move comes only under four weeks after he was given the PM role following the dissolution of the previous government of his predecessor.

Political factions in the legislature had sharply condemned the structure of Lecornu's cabinet, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.

Demands for Snap Polls and Government Unrest

Multiple political groups are now clamouring for early elections, with some calling for Macron to also leave office - although he has repeatedly stated he will not stand down before his mandate concludes in the year 2027.

"The President needs to choose: parliament's dissolution or stepping down," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the far right National Rally (RN).

Lecornu - the former armed forces minister and a supporter of Macron - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.

Context of Political Turmoil

The nation's governance has been highly unstable since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a deadlocked assembly.

This has made it difficult for any prime minister to secure enough backing to enact new laws.

The previous administration was voted down in last month after lawmakers refused to back his austerity budget, which aimed to cut state costs by €44bn.

Economic Challenges and Market Reaction

The French shortfall stood at nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its public debt is 114% of GDP.

That is the number three debt level in the European monetary union after Greece and Italy, and equal to almost 50k euros for each resident.

Stocks fell sharply in the Paris bourse after the news of Lecornu's resignation was released on Monday morning.