French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down Following Under a Month in Power
France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, shortly after his government team was presented.
The presidential office confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met the French President for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.
This unexpected development comes only under four weeks after he was named premier following the dissolution of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Political factions in the legislature had fiercely criticised the structure of the new government, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.
Demands for Snap Polls and Government Unrest
Multiple political groups are now demanding early elections, with some demanding Macron to step down as well - despite the fact that he has always said he will not stand down before his time in office finishes in 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or stepping down," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the RN party.
Lecornu - the previous military head and a supporter of Macron - was France's fifth prime minister in under two years.
Background of Government Turmoil
France's political landscape has been highly unstable since last summer, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has posed obstacles for any prime minister to secure enough backing to enact new laws.
Bayrou's government was voted down in autumn after parliament voted against his spending cuts plan, which aimed to cut state costs by €44bn.
Economic Pressures and Market Reaction
The French shortfall hit 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its national debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and amounting to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Stocks fell sharply in the French stock market after the news of Lecornu's resignation emerged on the start of the week.
