French Prime Minister resigns after less than month

October 06, 2025 / 2:17 PM

Sharjah24 - AFP: France plunged deeper into political crisis on Monday as Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned after less than a month in office, intensifying pressure on President Emmanuel Macron to break the political deadlock. Lecornu’s abrupt exit came just 14 hours after announcing his cabinet, following fierce backlash across the political spectrum and the looming threat of a no-confidence vote in parliament.

Shortest tenure in modern French history

Lecornu’s 27-day term marks the shortest premiership in modern French history.

“The conditions were not fulfilled for me to carry out my function,” Lecornu said, denouncing the “partisan appetites” that forced his resignation. His departure sent shockwaves through Europe, with Germany emphasizing that a “stable France” remains vital for European stability.

Macron faces mounting pressure

The resignation compounds a year-long political impasse that began after Macron’s centrist alliance lost its parliamentary majority in the 2024 legislative elections. Despite growing calls, Macron has rejected both snap elections and resignation, and now faces the challenge of appointing his eighth prime minister before 2027.

The Paris stock market reacted negatively, with the CAC 40 index slipping 1.7 percent following the announcement.

Le Pen and the Far Right scent opportunity

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen called Lecornu’s resignation proof of Macron’s failure, urging snap elections as “absolutely necessary” and suggesting it would be “wise” for Macron to step down.

Her party’s president, Jordan Bardella, said the National Rally (RN) is “ready to govern” should elections be held soon.

Cabinet controversy and coalition tensions

Appointed on September 9, Lecornu was seen as a loyal Macron ally tasked with calming domestic unrest while allowing the president to focus on international diplomacy, particularly on Ukraine.

However, the largely unchanged cabinet unveiled Sunday night reignited anger among the Republicans, a key coalition partner.

“The Republicans will not give Macron a ‘final lap,’” said vice-president François-Xavier Bellamy, criticizing the reshuffle that included Bruno Le Maire as defence minister.

Fiscal strains and hazardous choices ahead

Lecornu’s resignation leaves France facing serious fiscal challenges, with public debt now among the highest in the EU—behind only Greece and Italy. He had been preparing to push an austerity budget through a fractured parliament, a task that toppled his two predecessors.

Analyst Mujtaba Rahman of the Eurasia Group warned that all of Macron’s options are “hazardous,” noting that resignation or snap polls could hand power to the far right.

He predicted Macron would appoint another prime minister and challenge the fragmented opposition to cooperate in avoiding a deeper fiscal and political crisis.