The French PM Sébastien Lecornu Resigns After Under a Month in Office
France's Prime Minister Lecornu has resigned, under 24 hours after his ministers was announced.
The presidential office made the announcement after the Prime Minister met Macron for an 60-minute discussion on Monday morning.
This shock move comes only under four weeks after Lecornu was named premier following the downfall of the prior administration of François Bayrou.
Various groups in the National Assembly had fiercely criticised the makeup of Lecornu's cabinet, which was mostly similar to Bayrou's, and promised to block its approval.
Pressure for New Vote and Government Instability
Several parties are now calling for new parliamentary polls, with some urging the President to also leave office - although he has repeatedly stated he will not leave before his time in office finishes in the year 2027.
"Macron needs to choose: dissolution of parliament or stepping down," said Chenu, one of prominent members of the National Rally.
The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a ally of the President - was the fifth French PM in less than 24 months.
Background of Political Turmoil
The nation's governance has been markedly turbulent since last summer, when early legislative polls resulted in a hung parliament.
This has created challenges for each PM to secure enough backing to approve legislation.
The former cabinet was rejected in autumn after the assembly declined to support his austerity budget, which aimed to cut state costs by 44 billion euros.
Economic Pressures and Market Reaction
France's deficit reached 5.8 percent of economic output in the current year and its national debt is 114 percent of GDP.
That is the third highest public debt in the euro area after two southern European nations, and amounting to almost 50,000 euros per person.
Share prices dropped in the Paris exchange after the announcement about the PM broke on Monday.