The French PM Lecornu Resigns After Less Than a Month in the Role
France's Prime Minister Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his ministers was announced.
The French presidency made the announcement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only under four weeks after he was appointed prime minister following the collapse of the prior administration of his predecessor.
Various groups in the legislature had strongly opposed the composition of his ministerial team, which was very close to Bayrou's, and promised to block its approval.
Demands for Snap Polls and Government Instability
A number of factions are now demanding early elections, with some demanding Macron to resign too - even though he has always said he will not leave before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: dissolution of parliament or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members 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 Crisis
The nation's governance has been very volatile since mid-2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a hung parliament.
This has made it difficult for every premier to secure enough backing to approve legislation.
Bayrou's government was voted down in autumn after parliament voted against his austerity budget, which aimed to cut state costs by $51 billion.
Financial Challenges and Market Response
The nation's budget gap reached nearly 6% of the economy in the current year and its government debt is more than the total economic output.
That is the number three debt level in the eurozone after Italy and Greece, and amounting to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Share prices dropped in the Paris exchange after the announcement about the PM emerged on Monday.
