Why the French Prime Minister Stepped Down After Only 27 Days – & Potential Follow
France's prime minister, the country's leader, stepped down along with the cabinet, less than 30 days after taking office and just moments of the new cabinet being announced, dramatically deepening the country's political crisis.
This marks another surprising turn following recent incidents indicating that the nation, the EU’s second-biggest member state, faces growing governance challenges. Here is a look at what just happened, the causes and future possibilities.
What Just Happened?
Lecornu, who was appointed 27 days ago, submitted his departure along with the entire cabinet this week, only half a day following the ministerial lineup reveal. This made him the shortest-lived prime minister since the Fifth Republic began.
The 39-year-old, ex-defense chief, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, was France’s fifth prime minister since the president’s re-election in 2022 and third leader post-parliament dissolution and called early legislative elections conducted months ago.
Lecornu blamed political rigidity, saying he had been “ready to compromise, but every party wanted others accept their entire agenda.” It would “would require little to succeed,” but “ideological stubbornness” along with “certain egos” blocked progress, according to him.
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 behind Greece and Italy, almost twice the 60% permitted under EU rules – as is its projected budget deficit of nearly 6%.
Underlying Causes
Origins of the turmoil stem from last year's sudden polls, that resulted in a hung parliament split among three more or less equal blocs: the left, nationalist right & the president's centrist coalition, none nearing a majority.
The economic downturn has only added to that instability, as have the 2027 presidential race. The president is term-limited, and with each party keen to stake out its ground ahead of elections, compromise in the assembly has become even harder to find.
He encountered a difficult task to approve spending cuts in a fractured parliament aimed at reining in the yawning budget deficit – a challenge that ousted his two immediate predecessors, who were ousted by MPs over the plan.
The final catalyst for his resignation appears to have been the reaction of the centre-right Les Républicains to the new cabinet. The party said the largely unchanged lineup failed to represent the “profound break” with past politics that Lecornu had promised.
Revealing key ministries last Sunday prompted fierce criticism from across the political spectrum, with allies and opponents denouncing it as either too rightwing or not rightwing enough, and threatening to topple the new government.
The return of Bruno Le Maire, Macron’s economy minister for seven years, as defense head angered many lawmakers across factions, who saw it as a confirmation that Macron’s pro-business economic policies were not up for discussion.
Future Scenarios
Nationalist parties led by Le Pen and Bardella has called on Macron to disband the assembly and call new votes, while the radical left France Unbowed renewed demands for Macron's resignation.
Macron has three main options, all hazardous and none very appealing. First, he might appoint another PM. Someone from his circle now appears unlikely, while even a moderate leftwinger would challenge his hard-won pension reform.
On the other hand, selecting a staunch conservative would anger left-wing parties. Due to urgent requirements to secure some agreement for approving annual spending, some analysts have suggested he may try to turn to an independent expert.
Second, 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 could yield another split result – or potentially usher in an RN government.
The last choice would be to resign, however, he has repeatedly ruled out standing aside prior to the 2027 vote – an election viewed as pivotal for France, with Le Pen sensing her best ever chance of taking power.
