🔗 Share this article

The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his government team was announced.

The French presidency issued a statement after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an 60-minute discussion on Monday morning.

This shock move comes only 26 days after he was appointed prime minister following the downfall of the prior administration of his predecessor.

Parties across the board in the National Assembly had strongly opposed the structure of the new government, which was largely unchanged to the previous one, and promised to block its approval.

Calls for Early Elections and Government Instability

Several parties are now clamouring for a snap election, with others demanding Macron to resign too - despite the fact that he has consistently affirmed he will not stand down before his mandate concludes in 2027.

"The President needs to decide: calling new elections or stepping down," said Sébastien Chenu, one of key representatives of the National Rally.

Lecornu - the ex-defense chief and a ally of the President - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.

Context of Political Turmoil

French politics has been highly unstable since last summer, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a no clear majority.

This has made it difficult for any prime minister to secure enough backing to enact new laws.

The former cabinet was rejected in autumn after parliament voted against his spending cuts plan, which aimed to slash government spending by 44 billion euros.

Economic Challenges and Stock Response

France's deficit hit 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its public debt is more than the total economic output.

That is the third highest public debt in the European monetary union after Italy and Greece, and equivalent to almost 50,000 euros per person.

Stocks fell sharply in the Paris bourse after the announcement about the PM was released on Monday.