The Reasons Behind France's Prime Minister Resigned After Just 27 Days – and Potential Happen Next
France's prime minister, the country's leader, has resigned together with the cabinet, less than a month after taking office and within moments after unveiling his ministers, dramatically deepening the country's political crisis.
This marks the latest shock development following recent incidents that suggest the nation, the EU’s second-biggest member state, is becoming increasingly ungovernable. Let's examine recent developments, the causes and future possibilities.
What Just Happened?
The prime minister, who was appointed 27 days ago, tendered his resignation and that of his government this week, barely 12 hours after the key members of his cabinet had been announced. This made him the shortest-lived prime minister in modern French history.
Aged 39, ex-defense chief, aligned with the president, was France’s fifth prime minister since the president’s re-election in 2022 and the third 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 “would require little to succeed,” however “partisan attitudes” along with “certain egos” blocked progress, according to him.
The resignation alarmed markets, as the CAC 40 fell 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 – similar to its projected budget deficit of nearly 6%.
Why Did It Happen?
Origins of the turmoil stem from last year's sudden polls, that resulted in a split assembly divided between three nearly equal factions: the left, the far right and the president's centrist coalition, 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. Macron cannot stand again, and with each party keen to stake out its ground before the vote, common ground in parliament has become even harder to find.
He encountered a difficult task of passing an austerity budget 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 for his resignation appears to have been response from conservative parties to the new cabinet. They claimed the similar composition did not reflect the “profound break” with past politics that Lecornu had promised.
But announcement of the main cabinet posts on Sunday evening drew strong objections from across the political spectrum, with allies and opponents denouncing it for being too conservative or insufficiently so, and endangering its stability.
The return of Bruno Le Maire, long-time finance chief, as defense head particularly enraged politicians from most parties, viewing it as proof that Macron’s pro-business economic policies were not up for discussion.
What Might Happen Now?
Nationalist parties of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella urged the president to dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections, as leftist groups renewed demands for Macron's resignation.
The president faces three choices, all hazardous and uninviting. Initially, he might appoint another PM. A figure from within his own camp now appears unlikely, and a centrist left candidate 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 to at least pass a budget for this year, experts propose he may try to turn to an independent expert.
Next, he could dissolve the national assembly and call fresh legislative elections, an option he has resisted and surveys indicate could yield another split result – or potentially usher in an RN government.
His final option is stepping down, but again, he has refused to leave before the presidential election in 2027 – an election viewed as pivotal for France, with Le Pen sensing her best ever chance of taking power.
