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

Government building Sébastien Lecornu portrait

France's Prime Minister Lecornu has handed in his resignation, less than a day after his government team was announced.

The French presidency confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an hour on Monday morning.

This surprising decision comes only less than a month after Lecornu was appointed prime minister following the downfall of the prior administration of François Bayrou.

Various groups in the French parliament had fiercely criticised the structure of his ministerial team, which was mostly similar to the previous one, and promised to block its approval.

Calls for Early Elections and Political Instability

Multiple political groups are now clamouring for early elections, with certain voices urging Macron to resign too - even though he has consistently affirmed he will not stand down before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.

"The President needs to choose: parliament's dissolution or leaving office," said Chenu, one of key representatives of the far right National Rally (RN).

The outgoing PM - the previous military head and a ally of the President - was the fifth premier in under two years.

Background of Government Turmoil

France's political landscape has been highly unstable since mid-2024, when snap parliamentary elections resulted in a deadlocked assembly.

This has created challenges for every premier to secure enough backing to enact new laws.

The former cabinet was defeated in September after parliament declined to support his austerity budget, which aimed to slash government spending by 44 billion euros.

Financial Challenges and Stock Reaction

The nation's budget gap stood at nearly 6% of the economy 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 equal to almost 50k euros for each resident.

Share prices dropped in the Paris bourse after the news of Lecornu's resignation broke on Monday.

Megan Owens
Megan Owens

A passionate historian and travel writer with expertise in ancient Roman culture and Mediterranean destinations.