The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down Following Under a 30-Day Period in the Role
France's Prime Minister Lecornu has handed in his resignation, under 24 hours after his cabinet was unveiled.
The French presidency issued a statement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on the start of the week.
This shock move comes only less than a month after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the dissolution of the previous government of his predecessor.
Various groups in the French parliament 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 Political Unrest
Several parties are now calling for new parliamentary polls, with others urging Macron to also leave office - despite the fact that he has always said he will not stand down before his mandate concludes in 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or stepping down," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the National Rally.
Lecornu - the previous military head and a Macron loyalist - was France's fifth prime minister in a two-year span.
Background of Political Turmoil
France's political landscape has been markedly turbulent since last summer, when early legislative polls resulted in a no clear majority.
This has made it difficult for each PM to secure enough backing to pass any bills.
Bayrou's government was voted down in autumn after parliament voted against his austerity budget, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by 44 billion euros.
Economic Challenges and Market Reaction
France's deficit reached nearly 6% of the economy in the current year and its national 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 euros per person.
Markets declined in the French stock market after the announcement about the PM broke on Monday morning.
