The Reasons Behind France's PM Stepped Down After Just 27 Days – and What Could Follow

The French prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has resigned together with the cabinet, under 30 days after taking office and within hours of the new cabinet being announced, dramatically deepening the country's governmental turmoil.

This marks another surprising turn following recent incidents indicating that the nation, the EU’s second-biggest member state, is becoming increasingly ungovernable. Here is a look at recent developments, why – and what might come next.

What Just Happened?

Lecornu, after less than a month in office, submitted his departure and that of his government on Monday, only half a day following the ministerial lineup reveal. He became the briefest-serving PM in modern French history.

The 39-year-old, ex-defense chief, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, 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 party-political intransigence, saying he had been “ready to compromise, yet all factions demanded others accept their entire agenda.” It would “would require little to succeed,” however “partisan attitudes” and “certain egos” stood in the way, according to him.

The resignation spooked investors, with the CAC 40 stock index dropping 2% and the euro declined 0.7%. The national debt ratio is the EU’s third-highest behind Greece and Italy, almost twice the EU's 60% limit – similar to the nearly 6% deficit forecast.

Why Did It Happen?

The roots of the crisis lie in that 2024 snap general election, which produced a split assembly split among three nearly equal factions: left-wing groups, the far right and the president's centrist coalition, with no group coming close to a clear majority.

France’s financial crisis worsened the uncertainty, along with presidential elections due in 2027. Macron cannot stand again, as parties position themselves ahead of elections, common ground in parliament is increasingly elusive.

He encountered a difficult task to approve spending cuts in a fractured parliament aimed at reining in the yawning budget deficit – a task that defeated the previous two PMs, removed by lawmakers for similar efforts.

The immediate trigger for his resignation seems to be the reaction of the centre-right Les Républicains to the new cabinet. They claimed the largely unchanged lineup did not reflect a significant shift from previous approaches that Lecornu had promised.

But announcement of the main cabinet posts on Sunday evening prompted fierce criticism from across the political spectrum, with allies and opponents denouncing it as either too rightwing or not rightwing enough, 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.

Future Scenarios

Nationalist parties of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella urged the president to dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections, while the radical left France Unbowed has reiterated longstanding calls for the president himself to step down.

Macron has three main options, each risky and none very appealing. First, he might appoint another PM. Someone from his circle now appears unlikely, while even a moderate leftwinger could undermine his pension changes.

Alternatively, selecting a staunch conservative would anger left-wing parties. Due to urgent requirements to secure some agreement for approving annual spending, some analysts have suggested he may try to turn to a non-party political technocrat.

Next, he could dissolve the national assembly and call fresh legislative elections, an option he has resisted and which polls suggest would probably return another divided parliament – or bring nationalists to power.

His final option is stepping down, however, he has repeatedly ruled out standing aside before the presidential election in 2027 – an election viewed as pivotal for France, as Le Pen eyes a potential victory.