Why France's PM Stepped Down Following Only 27 Days – and What Could Happen Next
The French prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, stepped down together with the cabinet, less than a month following his appointment and within hours after unveiling his ministers, significantly worsening France's political crisis.
This marks another surprising turn in a series of events that suggest the nation, the EU’s second-biggest member state, is becoming increasingly ungovernable. Let's examine what just happened, why – and what might come next.
Recent Events
Lecornu, who was appointed 27 days ago, tendered his resignation along with the entire cabinet this week, only half a day after the key members of his cabinet had been announced. This made him the shortest-lived prime minister in modern French history.
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 triggering snap polls conducted months ago.
Lecornu blamed party-political intransigence, stating he was “willing to negotiate, but every party wanted every other party to adopt its full programme.” He noted it “would require little to succeed,” but “ideological stubbornness” and “personal ambitions” stood in the way, according to him.
His departure spooked investors, as the CAC 40 fell 2% and the euro, 0.7%. The national debt ratio ranks third in the EU after Greece and Italy, almost twice the EU's 60% limit – as is the nearly 6% deficit forecast.
Why Did It Happen?
Origins of the turmoil lie in last year's sudden polls, which produced a hung parliament divided between three nearly equal factions: the left, nationalist right & the president's centrist coalition, none nearing a majority.
The economic downturn worsened the uncertainty, along with the 2027 presidential race. Macron cannot stand again, and with each party keen to stake out its ground before the vote, compromise in the assembly is increasingly elusive.
Lecornu faced a difficult task of passing an austerity budget in a fractured parliament targeting reduction of the large fiscal gap – a task that defeated his two immediate predecessors, who were ousted by MPs over the plan.
The immediate trigger for his resignation seems to be the reaction of the centre-right Les Républicains to the new cabinet. They claimed the similar composition failed to represent the “profound break” from previous approaches he had pledged.
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.
The return of 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 was non-negotiable.
Future Scenarios
Nationalist parties of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella has called on Macron to dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections, as leftist groups renewed demands for the president himself to step down.
Macron has three main options, each risky and uninviting. First, he might appoint another PM. A figure from within his own camp now appears unlikely, and a centrist left candidate could undermine his pension changes.
On the other hand, appointing a confirmed rightwinger would anger left-wing parties. Given the pressing need to achieve a minimum of consensus for approving annual spending, experts propose he might consider a non-party political technocrat.
Next, he could dissolve the national assembly and call fresh legislative elections, an option he has resisted and surveys indicate would probably return another divided parliament – or bring nationalists to power.
The last choice would be to resign, but again, he has repeatedly ruled out standing aside before the presidential election in 2027 – a vote seen as a historic crossroads for France, with Le Pen sensing her best ever chance of taking power.
