French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Tenders Resignation After Under a Month in Power

France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, less than a day after his cabinet was presented.

The Elysée palace confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on the start of the week.

This shock move comes only 26 days after he was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of the previous government of his predecessor.

Parties across the board in the National Assembly had sharply condemned the makeup of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to the previous one, and promised to block its approval.

Pressure for Early Elections and Political Instability

Multiple political groups are now calling for new parliamentary polls, with certain voices demanding the President to step down as well - despite the fact that he has always said he will not resign before his term ends in 2027.

"Macron needs to decide: calling new elections or resignation," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the RN party.

The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.

Context of Government Crisis

The nation's governance has been very volatile since mid-2024, when early legislative polls resulted in a deadlocked assembly.

This has made it difficult for each PM to secure enough backing to pass any bills.

Bayrou's government was defeated in last month after the assembly declined to support his austerity budget, which aimed to slash government spending by 44 billion euros.

Financial Pressures and Stock Response

The French shortfall hit 5.8% of GDP in the current year and its public debt is more than the total economic output.

That is the third highest public debt in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.

Stocks fell sharply in the French stock market after the resignation report broke on Monday morning.