France's Premier Sébastien Lecornu Resigns After Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role

Government building Sébastien Lecornu portrait

The French Premier Sébastien Lecornu has resigned, under 24 hours after his government team was presented.

The presidential office confirmed the news after Lecornu met Macron for an hour on Monday morning.

This surprising decision comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was given the PM role following the downfall of the prior administration of his predecessor.

Parties across the board in the French parliament had sharply condemned the makeup of his ministerial team, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and promised to block its approval.

Pressure for Snap Polls and Government Unrest

Multiple political groups are now calling for early elections, with certain voices calling for Macron to also leave office - even though he has repeatedly stated he will not resign before his term ends in 2027.

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

The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a Macron loyalist - was France's fifth prime minister in under two years.

Context of Government Turmoil

French politics has been very volatile since last summer, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.

This has created challenges for any prime minister to garner the necessary support to enact new laws.

The former cabinet was defeated in last month after lawmakers refused to back his austerity budget, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by $51 billion.

Financial Challenges and Market Reaction

The nation's budget gap reached 5.8% of GDP in the current year and its national debt is more than the total economic output.

That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after two southern European nations, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.

Stocks fell sharply in the Paris exchange after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on Monday morning.

Adam Escobar
Adam Escobar

A passionate writer and tech enthusiast exploring the intersection of innovation and everyday life.