French President Emmanuel Macron is facing the toughest challenge of his eight years in office as his government grapples with deepening political instability, economic strain, and growing public discontent.
With his third prime minister in a year offering to resign and opinion polls showing widespread calls for him to step down, Macron’s control over the political clock, he once claimed to master, appears to be slipping.
The latest crisis erupted on Monday when Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, appointed less than a month ago, announced his resignation after only 26 days in office.
His decision came amid criticism over his new cabinet and a failure to secure support from key political parties.
Hours later, Lecornu agreed to remain in office for another 48 hours at Macron’s request to hold last-minute talks aimed at stabilising the government and avoiding another parliamentary dissolution.
Lecornu’s resignation marks the third time within a year that Macron has lost a prime minister, following the short tenures of Michel Barnier and François Bayrou, who were both ousted in confidence votes over austerity-driven budget plans.
The latest resignation underscores the political gridlock that has paralysed Macron’s second term since his snap parliamentary elections in June 2024.
Those polls produced a hung parliament, stripping Macron’s centrist coalition of its majority and forcing him to seek uneasy alliances.
Bruno Retailleau of the conservative Republicans, whose party was initially expected to join Lecornu’s cabinet, withdrew support just 14 hours after the government was announced.
The challenge of balancing France’s ideological divisions has complicated efforts to address its spiralling national debt, which stands at €3.4 trillion, or nearly 114 per cent of GDP, the third highest in the eurozone after Greece and Italy.
This year’s budget deficit is projected to reach 5.4 per cent of GDP.
Lecornu’s brief tenure ended before he could present a fiscal plan. He blamed his departure on political inflexibility, accusing parties of “behaving as if they had a majority.”
The immediate concern now is passing a 2026 budget before year’s end.
The finance bill must be tabled in the National Assembly by October 13, triggering a mandatory 70-day debate period.
Lecornu has continued final negotiations with all parliamentary groups except the far-right National Rally (RN) and the far-left France Unbowed (LFI), both of which declined to participate.
On Tuesday, Lecornu expressed cautious optimism, citing “points of convergence” that might reduce the likelihood of dissolution.
He is expected to brief Macron this evening on the “solutions currently on the table.”
Macron has said he will “assume his responsibilities” if the talks fail, hinting at the possibility of early parliamentary elections.
Former Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, now serving as education minister, said she would support suspending the contentious 2023 pension reform that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.
The measure sparked months of protests and remains a major sticking point in coalition negotiations.
Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, who initially signalled willingness to help resolve the crisis, expressed disappointment after meeting Lecornu, saying there were “no assurances” the reform would actually be suspended.
He added that the suspension should not merely freeze the retirement age but also reverse the accelerated contribution period extensions.
Macron’s predicament has been compounded by public anger and dwindling approval ratings.
An Odoxa poll published Monday found that 57 per cent of French respondents believe the president was responsible for Lecornu’s resignation, while 70 per cent want him to step down.
The mounting political crisis has fuelled calls from across the spectrum for Macron to resign. On the far right, Marine Le Pen and her protégé Jordan Bardella have rejected all overtures for talks, while Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France Unbowed continues to push for impeachment with support from the Greens.
On the centre-left, the Socialists have tied their cooperation to the formation of a left-wing government.
Even within Macron’s centrist Renaissance party, dissent is growing, with party leader Gabriel Attal questioning the president’s decisions.
Adding to the pressure, former prime minister and long-time ally Édouard Philippe, who served under Macron from 2017 to 2020, has urged him to appoint a technocratic prime minister and call presidential elections once a budget is passed.
The remarks, called by Le Parisien a “political bomb,” underline Macron’s growing isolation even within his inner circle.
Macron, barred from running in 2027, has maintained that he will serve his full term.
His solitary walk along the River Seine on Monday evening, phone in hand, was interpreted as symbolic of his isolation as he weighs whether to dissolve parliament, appoint yet another prime minister, or step down altogether.
Despite his domestic turmoil, Macron continues to play a visible role internationally. Last month he recognised Palestinian statehood and renewed diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Yet at home, his leadership is under siege, and time may be running out for the man who once called himself maître des horloges — the master of the clocks.