Why France's Prime Minister Stepped Down Following Just 27 Days – & Potential Follow
The French prime minister, the country's leader, stepped down along with the cabinet, less than a month after taking office and within moments after unveiling his ministers, significantly worsening France's governmental turmoil.
It is another surprising turn in a series of events that suggest the nation, Europe's second-largest economy, is becoming increasingly ungovernable. Here is a look at recent developments, the causes and future possibilities.
Recent Events
The prime minister, after less than a month in office, submitted his departure and that of his government this week, barely 12 hours after the key members of his cabinet had been announced. This made him the shortest-lived prime minister in modern French history.
The 39-year-old, former defence minister, aligned with the president, served as the fifth PM since the president’s re-election in 2022 and the third since Macron dissolved parliament triggering snap polls that were held last summer.
He attributed the resignation to political rigidity, saying he had been “willing to negotiate, but every party wanted others accept their entire agenda.” It would “not take much for it to work,” but “partisan attitudes” along with “personal ambitions” blocked progress, he said.
The resignation alarmed markets, as the CAC 40 fell 2% and the euro declined 0.7%. France’s debt-to-GDP ratio is the EU’s third-highest after Greece and Italy, almost twice the 60% permitted under EU rules – similar to the nearly 6% deficit forecast.
Why Did It Happen?
The roots of the crisis stem from that 2024 snap general election, that resulted in a split assembly divided between three nearly equal factions: the left, the far right and the president's centrist coalition, with no group coming close to a clear majority.
France’s financial crisis worsened the uncertainty, along with the 2027 presidential race. The president is term-limited, and with each party keen to stake out its ground before the vote, compromise in the assembly has become even harder to find.
He encountered the tough job to approve spending cuts in a fractured parliament targeting reduction of the yawning budget deficit – a task that defeated his two immediate predecessors, removed by lawmakers for similar efforts.
The final catalyst for his resignation seems to be the reaction of the centre-right Les Républicains to the new cabinet. The party said the largely unchanged lineup failed to represent a significant shift from previous approaches he had pledged.
But announcement of the main cabinet posts on Sunday evening drew strong objections from across the political spectrum, as supporters and critics condemned it for being too conservative or insufficiently so, and threatening to topple the new government.
Reappointing Bruno Le Maire, long-time finance chief, as defense head angered many lawmakers across factions, viewing it as proof that his economic agenda were not up for discussion.
Future Scenarios
The far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella urged the president to disband the assembly and call new votes, as leftist groups renewed demands for the president himself to step down.
The president faces three choices, each risky and uninviting. First, he could name a new prime minister. Someone from his circle seems improbable, and a centrist left candidate would challenge his hard-won pension reform.
On the other hand, appointing a confirmed rightwinger would anger left-wing parties. Due to urgent requirements to secure some agreement to at least pass a budget for this year, some analysts have suggested he might consider an independent expert.
Second, he may dissolve parliament and call fresh legislative elections, an option he has resisted and surveys indicate could yield another split result – or potentially usher in an RN government.
His final option is stepping down, but again, he has refused to leave before the presidential election in 2027 – an election viewed as pivotal for France, as Le Pen eyes a potential victory.