Macron Crisis Deepens: French PM Resigns Hours After Naming Cabinet in Historic Short Stint
Published Date: 6th Oct, 2025
PARIS, France – October 6, 2025 – France has been plunged into a deeper state of political chaos after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned on Monday, a mere 27 days after his appointment and less than 14 hours after announcing his new government. The swift departure makes Lecornu the shortest-serving prime minister in the modern French Fifth Republic.
President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation, which highlights the crippling instability created by a hung parliament and the deepening fiscal crisis facing the Eurozone’s second-largest economy.
Shortest Government in Modern History
Lecornu, a close ally of President Macron, took office last month with the daunting task of securing support to pass an austerity budget aimed at reining in the country's massive deficit, which is nearly double the EU limit.
However, the new cabinet he unveiled late Sunday was met with immediate and furious criticism from across the political spectrum—including from crucial centre-right allies whose support was essential to the minority government's survival. Critics argued the largely unchanged lineup failed to deliver the "profound break" from past policies that Lecornu had promised.
Blaming the political deadlock for his failure, Lecornu delivered a somber speech on Monday morning, denouncing the "partisan appetites" and "egos" of opposition parties that he said made compromise impossible.
Political Earthquake and Market Turmoil
Lecornu is the third prime minister to fall in a year, with the budget crisis being the main driver of the instability. The news sent shockwaves through the financial markets, with the Paris CAC 40 stock index dropping and the euro weakening as investors reacted to the political uncertainty. France’s public debt stands at a record high of approximately 114% of GDP.
The current political turmoil has its roots in the snap legislative elections called by President Macron in 2024, which resulted in a fragmented National Assembly split between the left, the far-right, and Macron's centrist alliance, with no single group holding a stable majority.
Pressure Mounts on Macron
The government's collapse has intensified calls from opposition leaders for drastic action.
The far-right National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, immediately called on President Macron to either dissolve parliament and call new snap elections or resign. "There cannot be a return to stability without a return to the ballot box," Bardella stated.
The radical left France Unbowed (LFI) reiterated its demand for the President to step down.
President Macron now faces a severe political bind with three highly risky options:
Appoint a new Prime Minister: A seemingly endless task that risks creating yet another fragile, short-lived government incapable of passing a budget.
Dissolve the National Assembly: Calling new elections, which risks handing power to the far-right National Rally, a scenario Macron has long sought to prevent.
Resign: A move he has repeatedly ruled out, but one which would trigger an early presidential election.
For now, Lecornu’s outgoing cabinet will remain in a caretaker capacity, managing day-to-day affairs until the President charts the course for the next step in France’s deepening political crisis.
Date: 6th Oct, 2025
