Another French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigns, Macron's government faces growing political crisis

Emmanuel Macron’s plan to fix his government failed because his last choice for prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, couldn’t make it work. Lecornu was chosen three and a half weeks ago and was called Macron’s “last card” to save French politics.

He was 39 years old, loyal to Macron, calm, and modest, so people thought he could quietly bring parties together. But Lecornu failed quickly, even faster than his two predecessors, Michel Barnier and François Bayrou, as per the report by BBC.

French government crisis

On Sunday afternoon, he named his second cabinet. But within 14 hours, it capitulated, even before Lecornu could give his first speech, planned on Tuesday.

The main reason for the failure was a conflict with the Republicans party (LR) and its leader, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau. LR has about 40 MPs and was an important part of Macron’s centre-right alliance trying to govern France. Retailleau wanted LR to show it could lead the country and protect its own political image, as stated by BBC.

On Sunday, Retailleau first agreed to stay in the government, but one hour after the cabinet was announced, he posted on social media that LR might not join. The problem was Lecornu secretly picked Bruno Le Maire, former finance minister, as the new Defence Minister.

LR disliked Le Maire because he left their party to join Macron and because they blamed him for letting French debt grow when he was finance minister. Retailleau said he only found out about Le Maire from television, and LR accused Lecornu of hiding the decision. Later on Monday, Le Maire agreed not to join the cabinet, and Macron gave Lecornu an extra 48 hours to try to convince LR to come back, as stated in the report by BBC.

Macron’s fading power

The situation is still unclear, and no one knows if a stable government will be made soon. Macron has now been deeply unpopular for months, which might drag down the candidates supported by him. Politicians are already casting apprehensions over their connection with Macron, with the 2027 election looming on the horizon.

LR has left, and even some centrists are starting to complain. Macron’s former prime minister, Gabriel Attal, who was once his star protégé, is keeping his distance now. Many of Macron’s loyal supporters are leaving, preparing for a France without him, and it might happen soon. In the end, Lecornu’s failure shows that even Macron’s most trusted allies cannot fix the political chaos, as per the report by BBC.

FAQs

Q1. Why did Sébastien Lecornu resign as France’s prime minister?

He resigned after just 14 hours because the Republicans party (LR) refused to join his government over the secret appointment of Bruno Le Maire.

Q2. What is causing France’s political crisis under Macron?

France’s political crisis is caused by low support for Macron, conflicts within his centre-right alliance, and the upcoming 2027 presidential election.