🔗 Share this article

France's Prime Minister Lecornu has stepped down, under 24 hours after his government team was unveiled.

The presidential office made the announcement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on Monday morning.

This surprising decision comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the collapse of the prior administration of his predecessor.

Parties across the board in the legislature had sharply condemned the composition of the new government, which was very close to the previous one, and threatened to vote it down.

Demands for Snap Polls and Government Unrest

A number of factions are now calling for new parliamentary polls, with some demanding Macron to resign too - although he has repeatedly stated he will not resign before his term ends in the year 2027.

"Macron needs to choose: calling new elections or leaving office," said Sébastien Chenu, one of leading figures of the National Rally.

The outgoing PM - the former armed forces minister and a supporter of Macron - was the fifth French PM in a two-year span.

Background of Political Crisis

France's political landscape has been markedly turbulent since mid-2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.

This has posed obstacles for each PM to obtain required votes to pass any bills.

The previous administration was rejected in autumn after lawmakers declined to support his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to cut state costs by $51 billion.

Economic Challenges and Market Reaction

The nation's budget gap stood at nearly 6% of the economy in 2024 and its national debt is more than the total economic output.

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

Share prices dropped in the Paris bourse after the resignation report emerged on Monday.