French Prime Minister Lecornu Tenders Resignation After Less Than a 30-Day Period in the Role

Government building Sébastien Lecornu portrait

France's Prime Minister Lecornu has resigned, shortly after his government team was unveiled.

The French presidency confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an meeting on the start of the week.

This unexpected development comes only 26 days after Lecornu was given the PM role following the dissolution of the previous government of his predecessor.

Parties across the board in the National Assembly had fiercely criticised the makeup of the new government, which was largely unchanged to the previous one, and vowed to reject it.

Demands for Snap Polls and Government Unrest

A number of factions are now clamouring for early elections, with certain voices calling for Macron to step down as well - even though he has always said he will not stand down before his term ends in the year 2027.

"The President needs to pick: parliament's dissolution or stepping down," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the National Rally.

The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a supporter of Macron - was France's fifth prime minister in less than 24 months.

Background of Government Turmoil

The nation's governance has been very volatile since mid-2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.

This has created challenges for every premier to garner the necessary support to enact new laws.

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

Financial Pressures and Market Response

France's deficit stood at 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 European monetary union after Greece and Italy, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.

Share prices dropped in the French stock market after the resignation report was released on Monday.

Elizabeth Ruiz
Elizabeth Ruiz

A wellness coach and writer passionate about holistic health and environmental sustainability, sharing insights from years of experience.