The Reasons Behind the French PM Resigned Following Just 27 Days – & What Could Follow
France's PM, Sébastien Lecornu, stepped down along with the cabinet, less than a month following taking office and just moments of the new cabinet being announced, dramatically deepening the country's political crisis.
This marks the latest shock development in a series of events that suggest France, Europe's second-largest economy, faces growing governance challenges. Let's examine what just happened, why – and what might come next.
Recent Events
The prime minister, who was appointed 27 days ago, tendered his resignation along with the entire cabinet this week, only half a day following the ministerial lineup reveal. He became 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 the third 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 “would require little to succeed,” however “partisan attitudes” along with “certain egos” blocked progress, he said.
The resignation alarmed markets, with the CAC 40 stock index dropping 2% and the euro, 0.7%. France’s debt-to-GDP ratio is the EU’s third-highest after Greece and Italy, nearly double the 60% permitted under EU rules – as is the nearly 6% deficit forecast.
Underlying Causes
Origins of the turmoil stem from last year's sudden polls, which produced a split assembly divided between three nearly equal factions: left-wing groups, nationalist right and the president's centrist coalition, none nearing a majority.
The economic downturn worsened the uncertainty, along with the 2027 presidential race. The president is term-limited, and with each party keen to stake out its ground before the vote, common ground in parliament is increasingly elusive.
He encountered 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, who were ousted by MPs over the plan.
The immediate trigger leading to his exit seems to be response from conservative parties to the new cabinet. The party said the similar composition did not reflect the “profound break” with past politics that Lecornu had promised.
Revealing key ministries last Sunday prompted fierce criticism from all sides, with allies and opponents denouncing it for being too conservative or insufficiently so, and endangering its stability.
The return of Bruno Le Maire, Macron’s economy minister for seven years, as defense head angered many lawmakers from most parties, viewing it as proof that his economic agenda were not up for discussion.
Future Scenarios
Nationalist parties led by Le Pen and Bardella urged the president to disband the assembly and call new votes, as leftist groups renewed demands for Macron's resignation.
Macron has three main options, each risky and uninviting. Initially, he could name a new prime minister. Someone from his circle seems improbable, while even a moderate leftwinger would challenge his hard-won pension reform.
Alternatively, selecting a staunch conservative would infuriate the left bloc. Due to urgent requirements to achieve a minimum of consensus to at least pass a budget for this year, some analysts have suggested he may try to turn to an independent expert.
Next, he could dissolve the national assembly and call fresh legislative elections, a move he has consistently said he is reluctant to do and which polls suggest could yield another split result – or bring nationalists to power.
The last choice is stepping down, but again, he has refused to leave prior to the 2027 vote – a vote seen as a historic crossroads for France, with Le Pen sensing her best ever chance of taking power.
