The Reasons Behind France's PM Stepped Down Following Just 27 Days – and What Could Follow
The French PM, the country's leader, stepped down along with his government, less than a month following taking office and within hours after unveiling his ministers, dramatically deepening the country's political crisis.
It is the latest shock development following recent incidents indicating that the nation, the EU’s second-biggest member state, faces growing governance challenges. Here is a look at recent developments, why – and what might come next.
What Just Happened?
The prime minister, after less than a month in office, tendered his resignation and that of his government on Monday, only half a day after the key members of his cabinet had been announced. This made him the shortest-lived prime minister since the Fifth Republic began.
Aged 39, former defence minister, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, was France’s fifth prime minister after Macron's second term and third leader since Macron dissolved parliament and called early legislative elections that were held last summer.
Lecornu blamed party-political intransigence, saying he had been “ready to compromise, yet all factions demanded others accept their entire agenda.” He noted it “not take much for it to work,” but “ideological stubbornness” and “personal ambitions” blocked progress, he said.
His departure alarmed markets, with the CAC 40 stock index dropping 2% and the euro, 0.7%. The national debt ratio ranks third in the EU after Greece and Italy, nearly double the EU's 60% limit – as is its projected budget deficit of nearly 6%.
Underlying Causes
Origins of the turmoil lie in that 2024 snap general election, that resulted in a hung parliament divided between three nearly equal factions: left-wing groups, nationalist right and Macron’s own centre-right alliance, with no group coming close to a clear majority.
France’s financial crisis has only added to that instability, along with presidential elections due in 2027. The president is term-limited, and with each party keen to stake out its ground ahead of elections, common ground in parliament has become even harder to find.
Lecornu faced a difficult task to approve spending cuts through the divided assembly aimed at reining in the large fiscal gap – a task that defeated the previous two PMs, removed by lawmakers for similar efforts.
The final catalyst for his resignation seems to be the reaction of the centre-right Les Républicains regarding the ministerial team. The party said the largely unchanged lineup failed to represent a significant shift from previous approaches that Lecornu had promised.
Revealing key ministries last Sunday prompted fierce criticism from across the political spectrum, as supporters and critics condemned it for being too conservative or insufficiently so, and threatening to topple the new government.
Reappointing Bruno Le Maire, long-time finance chief, to government as defence minister angered many lawmakers from most parties, who saw it as a confirmation that Macron’s pro-business economic policies were not up for discussion.
Future Scenarios
The far-right National Rally led by Le Pen and Bardella urged the president to disband the assembly and hold fresh elections, as leftist groups has reiterated longstanding calls for Macron's resignation.
Macron has three main options, each risky and none very appealing. Initially, he might appoint another PM. A figure from within his own camp seems improbable, and a centrist left candidate could undermine his pension changes.
Alternatively, appointing a confirmed rightwinger would infuriate the left bloc. Due to urgent requirements to achieve a minimum of consensus for approving annual spending, some analysts have suggested he might consider a non-party political technocrat.
Next, he could dissolve the national assembly and call fresh legislative elections, a move he has consistently said he is reluctant to do and surveys indicate would probably return another divided parliament – or bring nationalists to power.
The last choice would be to resign, however, he has refused to leave prior to the 2027 vote – a vote seen as a historic crossroads in French politics, with Le Pen sensing her best ever chance of taking power.