Why France's PM Resigned Following Just 27 Days – and What Could Happen Next
The French PM, Sébastien Lecornu, has resigned together with his government, under a month after taking office and within hours after unveiling his ministers, dramatically deepening the country's political crisis.
It is another surprising turn following recent incidents that suggest the nation, Europe's second-largest economy, is becoming increasingly ungovernable. Here is a look at recent developments, why – and future possibilities.
What Just Happened?
The prime minister, after less than a month in office, tendered his resignation along with the entire cabinet on Monday, barely 12 hours after the key members of his cabinet had been announced. This made him the briefest-serving PM since the Fifth Republic began.
The 39-year-old, former defence minister, aligned with the president, served as the fifth PM since the president’s re-election in 2022 and the third post-parliament dissolution triggering snap polls conducted months ago.
He attributed the resignation to political rigidity, saying he had been “ready to compromise, yet all factions demanded every other party to adopt its full programme.” He noted it “not take much for it to work,” however “ideological stubbornness” and “personal ambitions” stood in the way, according to him.
The resignation spooked investors, as the CAC 40 fell 2% and the euro declined 0.7%. The national debt 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%.
Why Did It Happen?
Origins of the turmoil stem from last year's sudden polls, which produced a hung parliament split among three more or less equal blocs: the left, nationalist right and Macron’s own centre-right alliance, none nearing a majority.
France’s financial crisis has only added to that instability, along with the 2027 presidential race. The president is term-limited, as parties position themselves before the vote, common ground in parliament is increasingly elusive.
He encountered a difficult task of passing an austerity budget through the divided assembly targeting reduction of the large fiscal gap – a challenge that ousted the previous two PMs, removed by lawmakers for similar efforts.
The immediate trigger for his resignation appears to have been response from conservative parties to the new cabinet. The party said the largely unchanged lineup did not reflect a significant shift from previous approaches that Lecornu had promised.
But announcement of the main cabinet posts last Sunday prompted fierce criticism from all sides, with allies and opponents denouncing it as either too rightwing or not rightwing enough, and threatening to topple the new government.
Reappointing Bruno Le Maire, long-time finance chief, 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 urged the president to dissolve parliament and call new votes, while the radical left France Unbowed renewed demands for the president himself to step down.
The president faces three choices, all hazardous and uninviting. First, he could name a new prime minister. Someone from his circle seems improbable, while even a moderate leftwinger could undermine his pension changes.
On the other hand, appointing a confirmed rightwinger would infuriate the left bloc. Due to urgent requirements to secure some agreement for approving annual spending, some analysts have suggested he might consider a non-party political technocrat.
Next, he may dissolve parliament 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 potentially usher in an RN government.
His final option is stepping down, however, he has repeatedly ruled out standing aside prior to the 2027 vote – an election viewed as pivotal in French politics, as Le Pen eyes a potential victory.
