Why France's Prime Minister Resigned Following Just 27 Days – & Potential Happen Next

France's PM, Sébastien Lecornu, has resigned along with his government, less than 30 days after taking office and within hours of the new cabinet being announced, dramatically deepening the country's governmental turmoil.

It is another surprising turn following recent incidents that suggest France, the EU’s second-biggest member state, is becoming increasingly ungovernable. Let's examine recent developments, why – and what might come next.

What Just Happened?

Lecornu, after less than a month in office, tendered his resignation 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 in modern French history.

Aged 39, former defence minister, aligned with the president, 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 party-political intransigence, saying he had been “ready to compromise, yet all factions demanded every other party to adopt its full programme.” He noted it “would require little to succeed,” but “ideological stubbornness” and “personal ambitions” 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 is the EU’s third-highest behind Greece and Italy, almost twice the 60% permitted under EU rules – similar to its projected budget deficit of nearly 6%.

Underlying Causes

Origins of the turmoil stem from that 2024 snap general election, that resulted in a split assembly divided between three more or less equal blocs: the left, the far right and Macron’s own centre-right alliance, none nearing a majority.

The economic downturn worsened the uncertainty, as have the 2027 presidential race. Macron cannot stand again, and with each party keen to stake out its ground ahead of elections, common ground in parliament is increasingly elusive.

Lecornu faced the tough job of passing an austerity budget through the divided assembly aimed at reining in 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 appears to have been the reaction of the centre-right Les Républicains to the new cabinet. The party said the largely unchanged lineup failed to represent the “profound break” with past politics he had pledged.

But announcement of the main cabinet posts last Sunday drew strong objections from across the political spectrum, as supporters and critics condemned it as either too rightwing or not rightwing enough, and endangering its stability.

Reappointing Bruno Le Maire, long-time finance chief, as defense head particularly enraged politicians across factions, viewing it as proof that his economic agenda was non-negotiable.

What Might Happen Now?

Nationalist parties of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella urged the president to dissolve parliament and call new votes, while the radical left France Unbowed renewed demands for Macron's resignation.

The president faces three choices, all hazardous and uninviting. Initially, he could name a new prime minister. Someone from his circle seems improbable, and a centrist left candidate could undermine his pension changes.

On the other hand, selecting a staunch conservative would anger left-wing parties. Given the pressing need to secure some agreement to at least pass a budget for this year, some analysts have suggested he might consider a non-party political technocrat.

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 potentially usher in an RN government.

The last choice would be to resign, but again, he has repeatedly ruled out standing aside prior to the 2027 vote – an election viewed as pivotal in French politics, with Le Pen sensing her best ever chance of taking power.