The Reasons Behind the French Prime Minister Stepped Down Following Just 27 Days – & Potential Happen Next
The French PM, the country's leader, has resigned together with his government, under 30 days following his appointment and just moments of the new cabinet being announced, significantly worsening France's political crisis.
It is another surprising turn in a series of events indicating that the nation, the EU’s second-biggest member state, faces growing governance challenges. Let's examine recent developments, why – and what might come next.
What Just Happened?
The prime minister, who was appointed 27 days ago, submitted his departure and that of his government on Monday, barely 12 hours following the ministerial lineup reveal. This made him the shortest-lived prime minister since the Fifth Republic began.
The 39-year-old, former defence minister, aligned with the president, was France’s fifth prime minister since the president’s re-election in 2022 and the third post-parliament dissolution triggering snap polls that were held last summer.
He attributed the resignation to party-political intransigence, saying he had been “ready to compromise, but every party wanted every other party to adopt its full programme.” It would “not take much for it to work,” but “ideological stubbornness” along with “certain egos” blocked progress, he said.
The resignation alarmed markets, with the CAC 40 stock index dropping 2% and the euro declined 0.7%. France’s debt-to-GDP ratio is the EU’s third-highest behind Greece and Italy, nearly double the EU's 60% limit – as is its projected budget deficit of nearly 6%.
Underlying Causes
Origins of the turmoil stem from last year's sudden polls, which produced a split assembly divided between three nearly equal factions: left-wing groups, the far right & Macron’s own centre-right alliance, none nearing a majority.
France’s financial crisis has only added to that instability, as have 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 is increasingly elusive.
He encountered a difficult task to approve spending cuts through the divided assembly aimed at reining in the large fiscal gap – a task that defeated his two immediate predecessors, removed by lawmakers for similar efforts.
The final catalyst for his resignation appears to have been the reaction of the centre-right Les Républicains regarding the ministerial team. They claimed the largely unchanged lineup did not reflect a significant shift with past politics that Lecornu had promised.
But announcement of the main cabinet posts on Sunday evening prompted fierce criticism from all sides, as supporters and critics condemned it as either too rightwing or not rightwing enough, and endangering its stability.
Reappointing Bruno Le Maire, long-time finance chief, as defense head angered many lawmakers from most parties, who saw it as a confirmation that his economic agenda were not up for discussion.
Future Scenarios
The far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella urged the president 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, each risky and none very appealing. Initially, 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.
Second, he could dissolve the national assembly and initiate new elections, an option he has resisted and surveys indicate could yield another split result – or bring nationalists to power.
His final option would be to resign, but again, he has refused to leave prior to the 2027 vote – an election viewed as pivotal in French politics, with Le Pen sensing her best ever chance of taking power.