The Reasons Behind the French PM Stepped Down After Only 27 Days – & Potential Happen Next

France's prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has resigned along with his government, less than a month following taking office and just hours of the new cabinet being announced, significantly worsening France's political crisis.

It is another surprising turn in a series of events indicating that France, the EU’s second-biggest member state, is becoming increasingly ungovernable. Let's examine recent developments, why – and future possibilities.

What Just Happened?

Lecornu, after less than a month in office, submitted his departure and that of his government on Monday, barely 12 hours after the key members of his cabinet had been announced. He became the briefest-serving PM since the Fifth Republic began.

The 39-year-old, ex-defense chief, a close ally of Emmanuel Macron, served as the fifth PM since the president’s re-election in 2022 and the third post-parliament dissolution and called early legislative elections conducted months ago.

Lecornu blamed party-political intransigence, stating he was “ready to compromise, yet all factions demanded others accept their entire agenda.” It would “not take much for it to work,” but “partisan attitudes” along with “personal ambitions” stood in the way, he said.

The resignation spooked investors, as the CAC 40 fell 2% and the euro declined 0.7%. The national debt ratio is the EU’s third-highest after Greece and Italy, almost twice the 60% permitted under EU rules – as is its projected budget deficit of nearly 6%.

Why Did It Happen?

The roots of the crisis lie in that 2024 snap general election, that resulted in a hung parliament divided between three nearly equal factions: the left, nationalist right & Macron’s own centre-right alliance, none nearing a majority.

France’s financial crisis worsened the uncertainty, along with presidential elections due in 2027. 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 targeting reduction of the yawning budget deficit – a challenge that ousted the previous two PMs, who were ousted by MPs over the plan.

The immediate trigger for his resignation seems to be the reaction of the centre-right Les Républicains regarding the ministerial team. The party said the similar composition failed to represent a significant shift with past politics that Lecornu had promised.

Revealing key ministries on Sunday evening prompted fierce criticism from across the political spectrum, as supporters and critics condemned it for being too conservative or insufficiently so, and threatening to topple the new government.

Reappointing Bruno Le Maire, Macron’s economy minister for seven years, to government as defence minister particularly enraged politicians across factions, who saw it as a confirmation that his economic agenda were not up for discussion.

What Might Happen Now?

Nationalist parties of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella urged the president to disband the assembly and hold fresh elections, while the radical left France Unbowed has reiterated longstanding calls for Macron's resignation.

The president faces three choices, each risky and uninviting. Initially, he might appoint another PM. A figure from within his own camp seems improbable, and a centrist left candidate would challenge his hard-won pension reform.

On the other hand, appointing a confirmed rightwinger would infuriate the left bloc. Given the pressing need to achieve a minimum of consensus for approving annual spending, some analysts have suggested he might consider an independent expert.

Second, he could dissolve the national assembly 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 would be to resign, however, he has refused to leave before the presidential election in 2027 – an election viewed as pivotal for France, as Le Pen eyes a potential victory.