Last Monday, France experienced a moment of déjà vu when yet another French prime minister resigned from office. In this case it was Sébastien Lecornu, who spent just 27 days in the role – a record low since 1958. Late on Friday, the French president said Emmanuel Macron Lecornu had recovered.
Lecornu resigned amid a parliamentary stalemate over his inability to approve budgets and address other financial matters. It was also the day after he formed a cabinet. “You cannot be prime minister if the necessary conditions are not met,” he said in a speech on Monday, according to Le Monde. The conditions needed to get the French budget approved were lacking, as was social security, he said. “[These are] Things that cannot wait until the 2027 presidential elections,” he said.
MACRON APPOINTS FOURTH PRIME MINISTER IN ONE YEAR AS DEBT BATTLE FALLS CENTRIST LEADER
French President Emmanuel Macron attends a video conference at the Elysee Palace in Paris on January 26, 2021. (FRANCOIS MORI/POOL/AFP via Getty Images. / Getty Images)
Lecornu’s sudden resignation shocked Macron, sent the French stock market tumbling and prompted Germany to emphasize the need for France to maintain political stability. This also includes the elephant in the room: reducing the French debt burden. Unfortunately, cooperation between parties does not seem likely in the short term.
In the days after the resignation, there were calls for Macron to call a presidential election. In particular, Edouard Philippe, Macron’s first prime minister and ally, demanded that elections be held. If that were to happen now, it would be a year and a half earlier than planned. He described the current situation as a “disturbing political game.”
French President Emmanuel Macron and his recently reappointed Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu are seen here in Vietnam on May 26, 2025. (Ludovic Marin/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images)
Late on Friday, after hours of discussions, news broke that Lecornu had been reappointed by Macron. On
While that promise sounds good, it remains to be seen whether the reinstated Lecornu will deliver on it. “The National Assembly is deeply divided,” Haddad said.
Port workers raise their fists during a march in Marseille, southern France, Tuesday, December 17, 2019. Eiffel Tower workers, teachers, doctors, lawyers and people from across the French workforce walked off their jobs on Tuesday to oppose higher interest rates
Much is focused on getting France’s finances in order, but that does not seem easy. The deadline for a new budget is October 13 and this deadline is unlikely to be met, although there are ways to extend the 2025 budget until 2026. The country’s enormous debt burden must also be addressed. Last year it recently reached 113% of the country’s GDP, surpassing Spain’s 102% of GDP.
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It is not just France that is concerned. Neighboring country Germany seems to be concerned about the political crisis, the lack of budget discipline and French stability. The instability in France – the largest economy in the eurozone after Germany – could spread throughout the EU. The French economy is crucial for stabilizing the European economy, says Rasmus Andresen, Member of the European Parliament for the Green Party. “France also has a huge impact on Europe and especially on the nearest countries at the moment.” he told France 24.
