France's Premier Sébastien Lecornu Steps Down Following Under a 30-Day Period in the Role

The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, shortly after his cabinet was announced.

The presidential office issued a statement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.

This unexpected development comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was named premier following the collapse of the prior administration of his predecessor.

Various groups in the legislature had strongly opposed the composition of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to the previous one, and threatened to vote it down.

Calls for New Vote and Government Instability

Several parties are now calling for early elections, with certain voices calling for the President to also leave office - even though he has consistently affirmed he will not stand down before his time in office finishes in 2027.

"Macron needs to decide: parliament's dissolution or leaving office," said Chenu, one of leading figures of the far right National Rally (RN).

Lecornu - the previous military head and a supporter of Macron - was the fifth premier in less than 24 months.

Context of Political Turmoil

The nation's governance has been markedly turbulent since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.

This has posed obstacles for any prime minister to garner the necessary support to approve legislation.

The previous administration was rejected in autumn after lawmakers voted against his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by €44bn.

Financial Pressures and Stock Reaction

The French shortfall hit 5.8% of GDP in the current year and its public 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.

Share prices dropped in the Paris exchange after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on Monday.