The Reasons Behind the French Prime Minister Resigned Following Just 27 Days – and Potential Follow

The French prime minister, the country's leader, has resigned along with his government, under a month after taking office and within hours after unveiling his ministers, dramatically deepening France's political crisis.

This marks another surprising turn in a series of events that suggest the nation, Europe's second-largest economy, faces growing governance challenges. Let's examine what just happened, the causes and future possibilities.

What Just Happened?

The prime minister, after less than a month in office, submitted his departure along with the entire cabinet this week, only half a day after the key members of his cabinet had been announced. This made him the briefest-serving PM since the Fifth Republic began.

Aged 39, former defence minister, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, was France’s fifth prime minister since the president’s re-election in 2022 and the third since Macron dissolved parliament and called early legislative elections that were held last summer.

Lecornu blamed political rigidity, saying he had been “ready to compromise, yet all factions demanded every other party to adopt its full programme.” He noted it “not take much for it to work,” but “ideological stubbornness” along with “certain egos” blocked progress, according to him.

His departure spooked investors, as the CAC 40 fell 2% and the euro, 0.7%. France’s debt-to-GDP ratio ranks third in the EU after Greece and Italy, nearly double the EU's 60% limit – as is its projected budget deficit of nearly 6%.

Underlying Causes

The roots of the crisis lie in last year's sudden polls, that resulted in a split assembly divided between three nearly equal factions: left-wing groups, the far right and Macron’s own centre-right alliance, with no group coming close to a clear majority.

The economic downturn worsened the uncertainty, along with the 2027 presidential race. The president is term-limited, as parties position themselves ahead of elections, common ground in parliament is increasingly elusive.

He encountered a difficult task of passing an austerity budget in a fractured parliament aimed at reining in the yawning budget deficit – a challenge that ousted 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. The party said the similar composition failed to represent a significant shift with past politics he had pledged.

Revealing key ministries last Sunday drew strong objections from across the political spectrum, with allies and opponents denouncing it for being too conservative or insufficiently so, and threatening to topple the new government.

The return of Bruno Le Maire, long-time finance chief, to government as defence minister angered many lawmakers across factions, who saw it as a confirmation that Macron’s pro-business economic policies were not up for discussion.

What Might Happen Now?

The far-right National Rally led by Le Pen and Bardella urged the president to disband the assembly and call new votes, as leftist groups renewed demands for Macron's resignation.

The president faces three choices, each risky and none very appealing. Initially, he might appoint another PM. A figure from within his own camp seems improbable, while even a moderate leftwinger could undermine his pension changes.

On the other hand, appointing a confirmed rightwinger would infuriate the left bloc. Due to urgent requirements to achieve a minimum of consensus to at least pass a budget for this year, experts propose he may try to turn to a non-party political technocrat.

Next, he may dissolve parliament and initiate new elections, an option he has resisted and which polls suggest could yield another split result – or bring nationalists to power.

The last choice is stepping down, but again, he has repeatedly ruled out standing aside before the presidential election in 2027 – a vote seen as a historic crossroads in French politics, with Le Pen sensing her best ever chance of taking power.