PARIS: France is confronting escalating political instability after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced his resignation on Monday, bringing an end to his tenure after just 26 days. The move triggers yet another crisis for President Emmanuel Macron and highlights the deep fractures within the nation's political landscape.
Lecornu's departure came just one day after he unveiled his cabinet, a lineup that drew immediate and harsh criticism from all sides of the National Assembly. Opposition parties threatened a vote of no confidence, signaling that the new government was destined to fail before it could even begin its work. A particular point of contention was the appointment of former finance minister Bruno Le Maire to lead the armed forces. In an effort to resolve the gridlock, Le Maire later announced he was withdrawing from the cabinet.
In a surprising turn of events, President Macron has tasked Lecornu with formulating a "stability plan" for the country by Wednesday evening, giving him a 48-hour window to negotiate with political factions. This development capped a day of upheaval that saw the Paris stock exchange fall sharply amid investor concerns over the government's ability to address France's significant economic challenges.
The political turmoil is not a new phenomenon. It has been a constant since Macron's gamble on snap parliamentary elections in July 2024 backfired. Instead of securing a clear majority, the elections produced a hung parliament with ideologically opposed factions unwilling to form a working coalition. Lecornu is the third prime minister to leave office since last December, following the ousting of Michel Barnier and the subsequent collapse of François Bayrou's government.
In a speech following his resignation, Lecornu condemned the "partisan appetites" of political parties, stating they were all behaving as if they held an absolute majority. "I was ready for compromise," he said, "but all parties wanted the other party to adopt their programmes in their entirety."
This entrenched division has made governing nearly impossible, particularly as France grapples with a national debt that has reached 114% of its GDP and a deficit of 5.8%. These figures place France among the most indebted nations in the eurozone, underscoring the urgent need for stable leadership and economic reform.
With Lecornu's short-lived government collapsing, President Macron faces a critical decision with three potential paths forward:
- Appoint a new prime minister: This would be the most conventional choice, but finding a candidate who can command a majority in the current parliament seems increasingly difficult.
- Dissolve the National Assembly: Calling for another round of legislative elections is a high-risk option. It could potentially break the deadlock but might also result in a victory for the hard-right and a significant loss for Macron's centrist party.
- Resign: This remains the least likely scenario, as Macron has consistently stated he will serve out his term until 2027.
The immediate future of French politics now hinges on whether Lecornu can achieve a breakthrough in his stability talks. Should he fail, the pressure on Macron to choose a decisive path forward will intensify, with the stability of the nation hanging in the balance.
