The Reasons Behind the French PM Resigned After Only 27 Days – and What Could Happen Next

The French PM, Sébastien Lecornu, has resigned together with his government, less than 30 days following taking office and within moments of the new cabinet being announced, dramatically deepening the country's political crisis.

This marks another surprising turn following recent incidents indicating that France, the EU’s second-biggest member state, faces growing governance challenges. Here is a look at what just happened, the causes and what might come next.

Recent Events

Lecornu, who was appointed 27 days ago, submitted his departure along with the entire cabinet this week, barely 12 hours following the ministerial lineup reveal. This made him the shortest-lived prime minister in modern French history.

Aged 39, former defence minister, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, was France’s fifth prime minister after Macron's second term and the third post-parliament dissolution and called early legislative elections conducted months ago.

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.” He noted it “would require little to succeed,” but “ideological stubbornness” and “certain egos” stood in the way, according to him.

His departure alarmed markets, as the CAC 40 fell 2% and the euro declined 0.7%. France’s debt-to-GDP ratio ranks third in the EU after Greece and Italy, almost twice the 60% permitted under EU rules – as is the nearly 6% deficit forecast.

Underlying Causes

Origins of the turmoil stem from that 2024 snap general election, that resulted in a split assembly split among three nearly equal factions: left-wing groups, the far right & Macron’s own centre-right alliance, with no group coming close to a clear majority.

France’s financial crisis worsened the uncertainty, along with the 2027 presidential race. Macron cannot stand again, as parties position themselves ahead of elections, common ground in parliament has become even harder to find.

Lecornu faced a difficult task of passing an austerity budget in a fractured parliament targeting reduction of the yawning budget deficit – a task that defeated his two immediate predecessors, removed by lawmakers for similar efforts.

The immediate trigger leading to his exit seems to be the reaction of the centre-right Les Républicains regarding the ministerial team. The party said the largely unchanged lineup failed to represent a significant shift from previous approaches that Lecornu had promised.

Revealing key ministries on Sunday evening drew strong objections from across the political spectrum, as supporters and critics condemned it as either too rightwing or not rightwing enough, and threatening to topple the new government.

The return of Bruno Le Maire, long-time finance chief, to government as defence minister particularly enraged politicians across factions, viewing it as proof that his economic agenda were not up for discussion.

What Might Happen Now?

Nationalist parties of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella has called on Macron to dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections, as leftist groups renewed demands for Macron's resignation.

Macron has three main options, each risky and none very appealing. First, he could name a new prime minister. 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. Due to urgent requirements to achieve a minimum of consensus to at least pass a budget for this year, some analysts have suggested he might consider an independent expert.

Next, he may dissolve parliament and initiate new 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, but again, he has repeatedly ruled out standing aside before the presidential election in 2027 – an election viewed as pivotal in French politics, as Le Pen eyes a potential victory.