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The French Premier Lecornu has stepped down, less than a day after his cabinet was announced.

The presidential office made the announcement after the Prime Minister met the French President for an meeting on the start of the week.

This unexpected development comes only less than a month after he was appointed prime minister following the downfall of the previous government of François Bayrou.

Various groups in the French parliament had strongly opposed the makeup of his ministerial team, which was largely unchanged to Bayrou's, and vowed to reject it.

Demands for New Vote and Political Unrest

Multiple political groups are now demanding a snap election, with some demanding the President to also leave office - although he has always said he will not stand down before his time in office finishes in 2027.

"Macron needs to pick: calling new elections or resignation," said Chenu, one of leading figures of the RN party.

The outgoing PM - the ex-defense chief and a Macron loyalist - was the fifth premier in a two-year span.

Context of Political Crisis

France's political landscape has been very volatile since mid-2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.

This has posed obstacles for every premier to secure enough backing to pass any bills.

Bayrou's government was rejected in autumn after lawmakers refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by 44 billion euros.

Financial Pressures and Market Response

The nation's budget gap reached 5.8% of GDP in 2024 and its national debt is more than the total economic output.

That is the number three debt level in the eurozone after Greece and Italy, and equivalent to almost €50,000 per French citizen.

Markets declined in the Paris exchange after the news of Lecornu's resignation was released on Monday.