France's Premier Sébastien Lecornu Tenders Resignation After Under a 30-Day Period in the Role

France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, shortly after his cabinet was announced.

The Elysée palace issued a statement after Lecornu met the French President for an meeting on the start of the week.

This shock move comes only 26 days after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the collapse of the previous government of François Bayrou.

Parties across the board in the National Assembly had strongly opposed the structure of Lecornu's cabinet, which was very close to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.

Pressure for New Vote and Government Unrest

Multiple political groups are now clamouring for a snap election, with certain voices calling for the President to step down as well - although he has consistently affirmed he will not leave before his term ends in the year 2027.

"Macron needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or resignation," said Sébastien Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.

Lecornu - the ex-defense chief and a supporter of Macron - was France's fifth prime minister in a two-year span.

Context of Government Turmoil

The nation's governance has been markedly turbulent since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a deadlocked assembly.

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

The previous administration was defeated in last month after lawmakers refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by €44bn.

Economic Pressures and Stock Reaction

France's deficit stood at 5.8% of GDP in the current year and its government debt is 114% of GDP.

That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and amounting to almost 50k euros for each resident.

Markets declined in the Paris exchange after the resignation report broke on the start of the week.