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The nation's PM Sébastien Lecornu has stepped down, shortly after his ministers was presented.

The French presidency confirmed the news after the Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron for an 60-minute discussion on the start of the week.

This surprising decision comes only less than a month after Lecornu was named premier following the dissolution of the prior administration of François Bayrou.

Political factions in the National Assembly had fiercely criticised the composition of the new government, which was largely unchanged to the previous one, and threatened to vote it down.

Demands for Early Elections and Political Instability

A number of factions are now clamouring for early elections, with others calling for the President to step down as well - although he has repeatedly stated he will not resign before his term ends in five years from now.

"The President needs to decide: dissolution of parliament or resignation," said Chenu, one of leading figures of the far right National Rally (RN).

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

Context of Political Turmoil

The nation's governance has been highly unstable since July 2024, when sudden national voting resulted in a no clear majority.

This has made it difficult for every premier to garner the necessary support to enact new laws.

The former cabinet was rejected in last month after parliament refused to back his fiscal tightening package, which aimed to reduce public expenditure by $51 billion.

Economic Pressures and Market Reaction

The French shortfall hit 5.8 percent of economic output in 2024 and its government debt is 114 percent of GDP.

That is the third largest government debt in the eurozone after two southern European nations, and amounting to almost €50,000 per French citizen.

Share prices dropped in the Paris bourse after the resignation report was released on the start of the week.