Paris: France was plunged deeper into political uncertainty on Monday after President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, just hours after unveiling his new cabinet.
The surprise move underscored the mounting instability in the French government and renewed questions over Macron’s ability to steer the country out of a prolonged parliamentary deadlock.
Lecornu, a former defence minister and Macron’s seventh prime minister, had taken office barely a month ago, promising to build consensus across France’s fragmented political landscape.
But his decision to retain most ministers from the previous government drew swift backlash from across the political spectrum, with critics accusing him of perpetuating Macron’s unpopular policies rather than ushering in the profound change he had promised.
By Monday morning, before his first cabinet meeting could even take place, Lecornu tendered his resignation. Standing on the steps of Matignon, he delivered an impromptu address blaming political egos and partisan appetites for the deep divisions that had paralysed parliament.
“No one holds an absolute majority, yet everyone behaves as if they do,” he said, referring to the fractious alliances that have left France without a clear governing bloc.
EN DIRECT | Déclaration du Premier ministre. https://t.co/2pkRDWyuKF
— Gouvernement (@gouvernementFR) October 6, 2025
Macron now faces mounting pressure from both the far right and the left to dissolve the National Assembly and call fresh elections. Jordan Bardella, leader of Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, said stability would only return with a return to the ballot box.
Opposition figures accused Macron of misreading the national mood and refusing to acknowledge the erosion of his authority since his centrist coalition lost its majority in last year’s snap elections.
Lecornu’s brief tenure followed that of François Bayrou and Michel Barnier, both ousted within months after clashing with parliament over austerity-driven spending plans. France’s debt-to-GDP ratio, now the third highest in the European Union, behind Greece and Italy, has fuelled tension between lawmakers demanding fiscal restraint and those opposing cuts to public services.
Despite Lecornu’s pledge to end the use of Article 49.3, a constitutional clause allowing the government to bypass parliament on budget votes, opposition parties dismissed his stance as symbolic.
With the budget deadline looming and Macron’s minority coalition weakened, France’s political future remains uncertain. Whether Macron opts for another election or attempts yet another reshuffle, the crisis has laid bare a government struggling to command legitimacy and a nation growing weary of political paralysis.
