France’s political crisis has intensified after the new prime minister resigned abruptly just hours after forming a government.
Sébastien Lecornu had become France’s third prime minister in a year as the country moved from one political crisis to another. He stepped down on Monday afternoon, shortly before his first cabinet meeting was scheduled to begin. President Macron accepted his resignation that morning.
Lecornu then delivered what he described as a “spontaneous” speech outside the prime minister’s official residence in Paris. He seemed to blame opposition parties for the situation, accusing them of refusing to compromise.
Criticizing what he called political “egos,” he said parties were acting with “partisan appetites” as though they each held an absolute parliamentary majority, when in reality no single party has a majority.
Lecornu had faced angry criticism from opposition politicians when he presented a new government that looked almost identical to the one under his predecessor, François Bayrou, who was removed on September 9th over proposed budget cuts.
The proposed government was filled with President Emmanuel Macron’s allies, leaving the administration largely unchanged.
Opposition parties accused Lecornu of going back on his promise to make a “profound break” with past politics when he took over from the unpopular Bayrou.
In his address, Lecornu insisted that his pledge not to use article 49.3 of the constitution—which allows passing legislation without a parliamentary vote—did represent a significant departure from recent practice and should have been enough to gain opposition support.
The key question now is whether President Macron will dissolve parliament and call another snap election.
Jordan Bardella, leader of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party, stated: “There cannot be a return to stability without going back to the ballot box and dissolving the national assembly. It was clearly Emmanuel Macron who decided on this government himself. He has completely misunderstood the political situation we’re in.”
The National Rally has been pushing for new elections, believing they can gain more seats in parliament.
France has experienced ongoing instability since Macron called an inconclusive snap election last year. Parliament remains divided among three blocs—the left, far right, and center—with no clear majority.
A budget for next year must be approved within weeks, despite deep political divisions and Lecornu’s tenure lasting less than a month.
Parties across the spectrum were meeting on Monday to decide whether to support a no-confidence vote against Lecornu, and it appeared the government would fall before even beginning its work. Lecornu apparently chose to resign before being forced out.
Most major government positions announced on Sunday night remained unchanged, including Gérald Darmanin as justice minister and Rachida Dati as culture minister.The crucial role of economy minister, vital as a divided parliament struggles to pass a budget, was given to Roland Lescure, a Macron ally who previously held the industry and energy portfolio at the start of Macron’s second term.
In a surprising shift, Bruno Le Maire, another Macron supporter who had been economy minister for seven years during his presidency, returned to the government as defence minister. This move angered politicians from all sides, who viewed it as a clear signal that Macron’s pro-business policies would remain unchallenged and unchanged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of FAQs about the French Prime Minister stepping down designed to be clear and helpful for a range of readers
Basic Understanding The Situation
1 Who is the Prime Minister that stepped down
The Prime Minister who stepped down was Gabriel Attal
2 How long was he in office
He was in office for just under six months from January to June 2024
3 Why did the Prime Minister resign
He resigned following a major political setback for his party in the snap parliamentary elections which resulted in a hung parliament with no clear majority This made it nearly impossible for his government to pass laws and govern effectively
4 What is a snap election
A snap election is an election that is called earlier than scheduled In this case President Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called for new elections unexpectedly
5 What is a hung parliament
A hung parliament is when no single political party or preexisting alliance wins an outright majority of seats This leads to a situation where forming a stable government is very difficult
6 Does the Prime Ministers resignation mean the President is also out
No the President of France Emmanuel Macron remains in power The Prime Minister is the head of the government while the President is the head of state They can be from different parties a situation known as cohabitation
Deeper Implications Next Steps
7 What happens immediately after a Prime Minister resigns
The outgoing Prime Minister and their government continue to handle daytoday administrative affairs until a new government is appointed The President immediately begins the process of finding a new candidate for Prime Minister
8 Who chooses the new Prime Minister
The President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron officially appoints the new Prime Minister However due to the hung parliament he must choose someone who can potentially secure support from a majority in the National Assembly which likely means negotiating with other parties
9 What is cohabitation and are we in one now
Cohabitation is when the President and the Prime Minister are from opposing political parties France is now in this situation as President Macrons party lost its relative majority forcing him to appoint a Prime Minister from a rival bloc
