Five PMs in Less than Two Years. France, What’s Going On?

Written By: Sofía García Andres

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned on October 6th after 26 days in the role, becoming the fifth Prime Minister of France in less than two years.

Every five years, the French electorate chooses a President, who subsequently appoints a Prime Minister, subject to the approval of Parliament. The President’s main duties concern foreign relations and defense, whereas the Prime Minister focuses on managing domestic affairs.

But, just after hours of announcing his new cabinet, Prime Minister Lecornu announced his resignation from what he described as the “worst job in France.” Lecornu argued that his month-long discussions with political parties, unions, and business leaders had proven fruitless in forging consensus towards deciding France’s budget for next year. Furthermore, the parliamentary opposition widely criticized his government for being too similar to the previous one, failing to deliver the “break” Lecornu had promised and thus undermining support in the National Assembly.

After the abrupt resignation, Macron decided to reappoint Lecornu as Prime Minister, in a final effort to reinvigorate the second term of his French presidency. After some hesitancy, Lecornu finally accepted returning to this position “out of duty” and said he would do “anything possible to provide France with a budget by the end of the year” to address domestic issues.

The current tension in the French political environment goes back to June 2024, when President Macron dissolved the National Assembly, a move that led to legislative elections. This unprecedented move was a consequence of the disappointing performance of his party, Renaissance, part of Renew Europe in the European Parliament, during the European Union elections in comparison to the far-right National Rally led by Jordan Bardella. 

While Macron’s centrist party did muster enough votes to maintain a government, his governance has since deepened political instability and polarization, caused frequent government collapses, and allowed the National Rally to reemerge as the main force in the National Assembly.

The erosion of political stability and the surge in support for France’s far-right reflect a broader European trend, where increasing polarization and instability are creating significant opportunities for political maneuvering and power brokerage, even as citizens remain deprived of effective representation.