France's Premier Lecornu Tenders Resignation After Under a 30-Day Period in the Role
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, shortly after his cabinet was unveiled.
The presidential office confirmed the news after Lecornu met Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This surprising decision comes only under four weeks after he was appointed prime minister following the collapse of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Parties across the board in the legislature had strongly opposed the structure of his ministerial team, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and promised to block its approval.
Calls for New Vote and Political Instability
Several parties are now calling for a snap election, with certain voices demanding the President to resign too - although he has always said he will not resign before his term ends in 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: parliament's dissolution or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of leading figures of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in a two-year span.
Background of Political Turmoil
The nation's governance has been highly unstable since last summer, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a no clear majority.
This has created challenges for any prime minister to obtain required votes to enact new laws.
Bayrou's government was rejected in autumn after lawmakers declined to support his spending cuts plan, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by €44bn.
Financial Challenges and Market Reaction
The French shortfall stood at 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its government debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the third largest government debt in the euro area after Italy and Greece, and amounting to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Markets declined in the Paris bourse after the announcement about the PM was released on the start of the week.