Why the French PM Resigned After Just 27 Days – & Potential Follow
The French PM, Sébastien Lecornu, has resigned together with the cabinet, under a month following taking office and within hours of the new cabinet being announced, dramatically deepening the country's political crisis.
It is another surprising turn in a series of events that suggest the nation, Europe's second-largest economy, is becoming increasingly ungovernable. Here is a look at recent developments, the causes and future possibilities.
What Just Happened?
The prime minister, who was appointed 27 days ago, submitted his departure and that of his government this week, only half a day following the ministerial lineup reveal. He became the briefest-serving PM in modern French history.
The 39-year-old, ex-defense chief, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, served as the fifth PM since the president’s re-election in 2022 and third leader since Macron dissolved parliament triggering snap polls conducted months ago.
He attributed the resignation to political rigidity, stating he was “willing to negotiate, yet all factions demanded every other party to adopt its full programme.” He noted it “not take much for it to work,” but “partisan attitudes” along with “personal ambitions” blocked progress, he said.
The resignation alarmed markets, with the CAC 40 stock index dropping 2% and the euro declined 0.7%. France’s debt-to-GDP ratio ranks third in the EU after Greece and Italy, almost twice the 60% permitted under EU rules – similar to the nearly 6% deficit forecast.
Underlying Causes
Origins of the turmoil lie in last year's sudden polls, that resulted in a hung parliament divided between three nearly equal factions: the left, the far right and the president's centrist coalition, none nearing a majority.
The economic downturn has only added to that instability, as have the 2027 presidential race. Macron cannot stand again, and with each party keen to stake out its ground before the vote, common ground in parliament is increasingly elusive.
Lecornu faced the tough job of passing an austerity budget in a fractured parliament aimed at reining in the yawning budget deficit – a task that defeated his two immediate predecessors, who were ousted by MPs over the plan.
The immediate trigger for his resignation appears to have been response from conservative parties to the new cabinet. The party said the similar composition failed to represent the “profound break” with past politics that Lecornu had promised.
Revealing key ministries on Sunday evening drew strong objections from across the political spectrum, as supporters and critics condemned it as either too rightwing or not rightwing enough, and endangering its stability.
Reappointing Bruno Le Maire, Macron’s economy minister for seven years, to government as defence minister angered many lawmakers from most parties, who saw it as a confirmation that his economic agenda was non-negotiable.
What Might Happen Now?
The far-right National Rally led by Le Pen and Bardella has called on Macron to disband the assembly and call new votes, as leftist groups renewed demands for the president himself to step down.
The president faces three choices, all hazardous and uninviting. First, he could name a new prime minister. A figure from within his own camp seems improbable, while even a moderate leftwinger would challenge his hard-won pension reform.
Alternatively, selecting a staunch conservative would infuriate the left bloc. Given the pressing need to achieve a minimum of consensus to at least pass a budget for this year, experts propose he may try to turn to an independent expert.
Second, he may dissolve parliament and initiate new elections, a move he has consistently said he is reluctant to do and which polls suggest would probably return another divided parliament – or bring nationalists to power.
The last choice is stepping down, however, he has repeatedly ruled out standing aside prior to the 2027 vote – an election viewed as pivotal in French politics, with Le Pen sensing her best ever chance of taking power.