Why France's PM Resigned After Only 27 Days – & What Could Follow

France's PM, the country's leader, stepped down together with the cabinet, under a month after his appointment and within hours of the new cabinet being announced, significantly worsening the country's governmental turmoil.

This marks another surprising turn following recent incidents that suggest the nation, Europe's second-largest economy, faces growing governance challenges. Here is a look at what just happened, why – and future possibilities.

Recent Events

Lecornu, after less than a month in office, tendered his resignation along with the entire cabinet on Monday, barely 12 hours after the key members of his cabinet had been announced. He became the shortest-lived prime minister in modern French history.

Aged 39, former defence minister, aligned with the president, was France’s fifth prime minister after Macron's second term and the third since Macron dissolved parliament triggering snap polls that were held last summer.

He attributed the resignation to political rigidity, saying he had been “willing to negotiate, but every party wanted others accept their entire agenda.” It would “would require little to succeed,” however “partisan attitudes” and “certain egos” stood in the way, according to him.

His departure alarmed markets, with the CAC 40 stock index dropping 2% and the euro declined 0.7%. France’s debt-to-GDP ratio is the EU’s third-highest after Greece and Italy, almost twice the EU's 60% limit – as is its projected budget deficit of nearly 6%.

Underlying Causes

Origins of the turmoil stem from last year's sudden polls, that resulted in a hung parliament divided between three more or less equal blocs: the left, nationalist right & Macron’s own centre-right alliance, with no group coming close to a clear majority.

The economic downturn worsened the uncertainty, along with presidential elections due in 2027. Macron cannot stand again, and with each party keen to stake out its ground before the vote, compromise in the assembly is increasingly elusive.

He encountered the tough job of passing an austerity budget in a fractured parliament targeting reduction of the large fiscal gap – a task that defeated the previous two PMs, removed by lawmakers for similar efforts.

The immediate trigger leading to his exit seems to be response from conservative parties to the new cabinet. They claimed the similar composition failed to represent the “profound break” with past politics he had pledged.

Revealing key ministries last Sunday drew strong objections from all sides, with allies and opponents denouncing it for being too conservative or insufficiently so, and endangering its stability.

Reappointing Bruno Le Maire, Macron’s economy minister for seven years, to government as defence minister angered many lawmakers from most parties, who saw it as a confirmation that Macron’s pro-business economic policies were not up for discussion.

Future Scenarios

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

Macron has three main options, all hazardous and uninviting. First, he could name a new prime minister. A figure from within his own camp now appears unlikely, and a centrist left candidate would challenge his hard-won pension reform.

Alternatively, appointing a confirmed rightwinger would infuriate the left bloc. Given the pressing need to secure some agreement for approving annual spending, some analysts have suggested he may try to turn to an independent expert.

Second, he could dissolve the national assembly and call fresh legislative elections, a move he has consistently said he is reluctant to do and which polls suggest would probably return another divided parliament – or bring nationalists to power.

The last choice is stepping down, however, he has refused to leave prior to the 2027 vote – an election viewed as pivotal in French politics, with Le Pen sensing her best ever chance of taking power.