France has plunged deeper into political turmoil after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned on Monday, barely four weeks after taking office.
Lecornu’s sudden departure makes him the third French prime minister to step down in less than a year, deepening concerns over President Emmanuel Macron’s ability to maintain control of a fractured parliament and stabilise the country’s economy.
Hours after announcing his resignation, Lecornu accepted Macron’s request to draft a “stability plan” for France by Wednesday evening. The move came as French markets tumbled, with investors rattled by fears of prolonged political paralysis and doubts over the government’s capacity to pass key reforms.
Lecornu, a close Macron ally and former defence minister, had unveiled his cabinet just a day before quitting. The appointments sparked immediate backlash in the National Assembly, where opposition parties vowed to reject his line-up.
The inclusion of former finance minister Bruno Le Maire as armed forces minister proved especially controversial. Le Maire withdrew from the cabinet on Monday afternoon in an attempt to calm tensions, but the damage was already done.
Lecornu’s resignation follows the collapse of François Bayrou’s government in September and Michel Barnier’s ouster last December. Since Macron’s failed snap elections in 2024 left parliament divided between rival factions, no administration has managed to hold power for long.
If Lecornu fails to deliver his “stability” proposal, Macron faces three choices: appoint another prime minister, dissolve parliament for new elections, or resign. The last option is considered unlikely, though fresh elections could deliver a major boost to Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally.
In his farewell speech outside the Hôtel de Matignon, Lecornu criticised “partisan appetites” and warned that political egos were paralysing France’s democracy.
France’s mounting debt — now 114% of GDP — and a deficit nearing 6% have only added to the pressure. With no clear successor in sight, Macron’s presidency appears to be running out of political lifelines.
