French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has intensified the political impasse in France by stepping down just hours after assembling his cabinet, amid the nation’s ongoing struggle to manage its escalating debt crisis.
Lecornu’s brief stint, concluding on Monday, marks the shortest prime ministerial term in contemporary French history. He attributed his resignation to the unwillingness of opposition parties to collaborate, especially after a crucial coalition ally withdrew support from his government. His departure adds to a series of short-lived prime ministerships since last year, highlighting the volatility in French politics.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 itemsend of list
In a fragmented French Parliament, opposition factions have ramped up demands for President Emmanuel Macron to either call early elections or resign, a sentiment echoed by some within Macron’s own political circle. Experts suggest that Lecornu was seen as Macron’s last hope to resolve the ongoing political deadlock, making his resignation a significant setback.
Here’s an overview of Lecornu’s resignation and the factors contributing to the instability in French politics:
What transpired?
On Monday morning, Lecornu and his cabinet tendered their resignations, merely a day after unveiling the new government lineup.
Assuming office on September 9 after Francois Bayrou’s departure, Lecornu’s 27-day term is the briefest since the establishment of France’s Fifth Republic in 1958. He was the fifth prime minister appointed since 2022 and the third following Macron’s snap elections in June last year. Prior to this role, Lecornu served as the Minister of Armed Forces from 2022 until last month.
In a heartfelt televised statement, Lecornu criticized political leaders across the spectrum for their refusal to reach compromises necessary to resolve the crisis.
“The prerequisites to fulfill my duties as prime minister were not met,” said the 39-year-old ally of Macron, emphasizing that progress was possible if some had acted with “altruism.”
“One must always prioritize the nation over party interests,” he added.
In what seemed like a last-ditch effort to maintain stability, Macron requested Lecornu to remain in a caretaker capacity until Wednesday to conduct “final negotiations” with political factions aimed at preserving order. The specifics of these discussions remain unclear, as does whether Lecornu might resume his role as prime minister afterward.
Later on Monday, Lecornu confirmed via X that he accepted Macron’s proposal to engage in concluding talks with political groups to ensure national stability. He pledged to report back by Wednesday evening, after which the president would “draw his own conclusions.”
Jacob Ross, a France specialist at the German Council on Foreign Relations in Hamburg, described the caretaker arrangement as “unusual” but legal, highlighting Macron’s urgent need to demonstrate control amid dwindling options.
“This move solidifies the perception that Lecornu was Macron’s last resort to resolve the ongoing crisis,” Ross remarked.
Reasons behind Lecornu’s resignation
The French Parliament remains deeply fractured, complicating efforts to build consensus. Far-right and left-wing parties collectively hold over 320 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly and maintain strong mutual opposition. Macron’s centrist and conservative alliance, which has sought conditional backing from both sides, controls 210 seats, leaving no party with an outright majority.
Shortly after announcing his cabinet on Sunday, Lecornu lost the backing of the right-wing Republicans (LR) party, which commands 50 seats, due to his appointment of former Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire as Defence Minister.
Bruno Retailleau, LR’s leader and the intended Interior Minister, declared on X that his party was withdrawing from the coalition, citing Lecornu’s government as failing to deliver the promised departure from pro-Macron policies. Retailleau later told TF1 that Lecornu had not informed him about Le Maire’s inclusion.
Le Maire is widely viewed as a symbol of Macron’s pro-market economic agenda, which contrasts with the transformative changes Lecornu had pledged during his three weeks of negotiations. Critics also hold Le Maire accountable for the significant public deficit accrued during his tenure as finance minister from 2017 to 2024.
Lecornu’s resignation rattled financial markets, with shares of major French corporations dropping approximately 2% on the CAC 40 index, though some recovery has since occurred.
The ministers slated for the new government will continue in caretaker roles until further notice. Agnes Pannier-Runacher, expected to be reappointed as Ecology Minister, expressed frustration on X, lamenting the “circus” where everyone plays their part but no one assumes responsibility.
What fuels the instability in French politics?
The roots of the turmoil trace back to the June 2024 snap elections, which resulted in a hung parliament featuring Macron’s centrist bloc alongside left-wing and far-right factions. Without a clear majority, Macron’s administration has struggled to pass legislation.
Compounding the deadlock are Macron’s efforts to implement austerity measures aimed at reducing the ballooning deficits caused by pandemic-era spending.
Bayrou, who served as prime minister from December to September, proposed in July significant budget reductions to address what he termed France’s “life-threatening” debt, targeting a 44 billion euro ($52 billion) cut in public expenditure for 2026. His plan included freezing pensions, increasing healthcare taxes, and eliminating two public holidays to boost economic activity. These proposals sparked widespread outrage both in parliament and among the public, triggering mass protests nationwide. Ultimately, parliament rejected Bayrou’s budget in September, ending his nine-month tenure.
Lecornu, in contrast, dropped the holiday elimination proposal and aimed to reform entrenched privileges enjoyed by ministers. Despite three weeks of negotiations with various political groups to avoid a no-confidence vote, his strategy failed by Monday.
Public dissatisfaction with Macron has been mounting since his 2018 attempt to raise fuel taxes, which he later reversed following massive protests. In April 2023, Macron again faced backlash after pushing through pension reforms that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64, a move that sparked large-scale union-led demonstrations and remains in effect. Currently, Macron’s approval ratings have plummeted to historic lows.
“There is a pervasive sense of frustration among voters, a feeling that politicians are playing games, leaving a large segment of the French electorate disillusioned,” Ross observed. “This environment could set the stage not only for new elections but also for referendums on contentious issues like immigration and France’s membership in the European Union.”
What lies ahead for Macron?
Facing mounting pressure, Macron’s position, which extends until April 2027, is increasingly precarious. Opposition parties are leveraging Lecornu’s resignation to demand change, while some of Macron’s own supporters are publicly distancing themselves to enhance their prospects in upcoming elections, analysts note.
The National Rally (RN), known for its anti-immigration and Eurosceptic stance, called on Monday for Macron to either dissolve parliament or resign. “The president must now consider whether he can continue resisting the dissolution of the legislature. We have reached a dead end,” RN leader Marine Le Pen told reporters. “The only sensible option is to return to the polls.” The RN is poised to increase its parliamentary presence if elections are held.
Similar demands have emerged from the far-left France Unbowed party, which has called for Macron’s departure.
Macron, who has remained publicly silent but was seen walking alone along the River Seine on Monday, appears isolated even within his political faction. Gabriel Attal, prime minister from January to September 2024 and leader of Macron’s Renaissance party, expressed confusion over Macron’s decisions on TF1, stating it was “time to try a new approach.”
Edouard Phillipe, a prominent Macron ally and prime minister from 2017 to 2020, suggested on RTL Radio that Macron should appoint a caretaker prime minister and then call early presidential elections. Phillipe, who is running in the 2027 elections under the centrist Horizons party, criticized the current political maneuvering as “disheartening.”
France must “navigate out of this political crisis in a structured and respectful way,” Phillipe said. “Another 18 months of this turmoil is unacceptable.”
“There is serious speculation about Macron’s potential resignation, and some allies view him as a political liability,” Ross added.
Macron faces three main paths: appoint another prime minister who may still struggle to secure parliamentary support, resign, or most likely, call snap parliamentary elections-which might still fail to produce a majority government. Each option presents significant challenges for the president, who has consistently ruled out stepping down.
Ross also noted that this political turmoil is undermining Macron’s influence internationally, particularly as leader of the European Union’s second-largest economy.
