PARIS: The move left France reeling from yet another wave of instability, and handed Lecornu the unenviable record of being the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the Fifth Republic.
Lecornu, a close ally of President Emmanuel Macron, had been in office for less than four weeks. His resignation underscores the deep paralysis gripping French politics since snap elections in 2024 failed to produce a clear majority in parliament.
According to Reuters, the resignation marks the fifth change of prime minister in under two years, reflecting a government struggling to maintain control in a sharply divided legislature.
A Fragile Government Crumbles
Lecornu’s downfall came barely 12 hours after announcing a cabinet that largely mirrored his predecessors’. Critics from both left and right denounced the lineup as tone-deaf and out of touch, despite Lecornu’s weeks-long effort to assemble a “diverse and representative” team.
Facing criticism, the 38-year-old prime minister blamed the collapse on a lack of compromise among rival political factions. He said his promise to stop using Article 49.3, a constitutional clause that allows the government to pass laws without a parliamentary vote — failed to sway opponents, reports the news agency.
“You can’t be prime minister when the conditions simply aren’t there,” Lecornu told reporters. “Political parties keep acting as if each of them held a majority in the National Assembly.”
Right-Wing Backlash and Broken Promises
One of Lecornu’s fiercest critics came from within his own camp. Bruno Retailleau, leader of the conservative Republicans and interior minister in Lecornu’s short-lived cabinet, said the government “did not reflect the promised break” from Macron’s earlier policies.
The backlash was amplified by the far-right National Rally, whose leader Jordan Bardella accused President Macron of handpicking ministers and leaving Lecornu powerless.
“We said it clearly to the prime minister: it’s a break or it’s no confidence,” Bardella posted on X.
Marine Le Pen, the far-right’s veteran figurehead, went further, declaring, “We’re at the end of the road — there’s no solution. We’re at the end of the joke.”
The Left Sees “Chaos of Macronism”
France’s left-wing opposition was equally scathing. Arthur Delaporte, spokesperson for the Socialist Party, said Lecornu’s resignation proved that “Macronism once again plunges the country into chaos.”
Political scientist Antoine Bristielle told CNN that Macron now faces two stark options: either dissolve the National Assembly or resign, triggering fresh presidential elections. Analysts widely expect Macron to choose the former.
Meanwhile, the appointment of Bruno Le Maire — a controversial figure who oversaw a sharp rise in France’s deficit during the pandemic — as defense minister drew ire from both opposition blocs.
Market Shock and Uncertain Future
The fallout was immediate on the financial front. The Paris stock exchange opened down 1.7%, as investors fretted over renewed political uncertainty and the fate of the upcoming national budget, originally due for approval Tuesday.
With the government in disarray and no clear successor yet named, France enters another period of instability, one that could reshape Emmanuel Macron’s final years in office and test the very foundations of the Fifth Republic.
