The French PM Lecornu Steps Down Following Less Than a Month in Office
The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, shortly after his ministers was announced.
The French presidency made the announcement after Lecornu met Macron for an hour on the start of the week.
This surprising decision comes only under four weeks after he was named premier following the dissolution of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Political factions in the French parliament had fiercely criticised the structure of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to the previous one, and vowed to reject it.
Demands for New Vote and Political Instability
A number of factions are now clamouring for a snap election, with some calling for Macron to also leave office - even though he has consistently affirmed he will not leave before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to pick: dissolution of parliament or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of leading figures of the far right National Rally (RN).
The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth French PM in a two-year span.
Context of Government Crisis
France's political landscape has been highly unstable since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a deadlocked assembly.
This has made it difficult for each PM to garner the necessary support to pass any bills.
The previous administration was voted down in autumn after parliament refused to back his austerity budget, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by €44bn.
Financial Challenges and Stock Response
France's deficit hit 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its government debt is 114% of GDP.
That is the number three debt level in the euro area after Italy and Greece, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.
Markets declined in the Paris exchange after the announcement about the PM was released on the start of the week.
