Just 24 hours in office… The French Prime Minister resigned exposing the size of the political problem in France

In a surprising development, the Élysée Palace announced Monday morning, that French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had formally submitted his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron.

This announcement came less than 24 hours after the announcement of his new government, deepening the escalating political crisis that France has been experiencing for months.

Macron had tasked Lecornu, the former defense minister, with forming a new government on Sunday evening in an attempt to contain the political divide and overcome the parliamentary deadlock.

However, leaks from government sources quickly emerged, confirming that the French president had accepted Lecornu’s resignation on Monday morning, leading the government to collapse before it could begin its actual work.

According to a statement from the Élysée Palace, the resignation came after intensive consultations, amid mounting parliamentary pressure and threats from opposition political blocs to submit motions of no confidence immediately after the Prime Minister delivers his general policy speech scheduled for Tuesday.

Lecornu’s departure presents President Macron with three difficult choices: Submitting his personal resignation, which is an unlikely option at the present time.

Dissolving the National Assembly (Parliament) and calling for early legislative elections is a political adventure that does not guarantee a majority.

A new figure has been tasked with forming a government, even though the divided parliamentary reality will not change, as left-wing and far-right blocs are determined to block any new government that does not meet their demands.

Despite its short lifespan, the Le Cornu government included well-known figures in the French political scene, most notably:

Bruno Le Maire: Minister of Defense (after previously serving as Minister of the Economy between 2017 and 2024).

Roland Lescure: Minister of Economy, in charge of preparing the budget plan.

Jean-Noël Barrot: Retained the post of Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Bruno Retayo: Remained as Minister of the Interior, with a pledge to combat illegal immigration.

Gérald Darmanin: He continued as Minister of Justice.

Rachida Dati: Retained her position as Minister of Culture, despite facing a corruption trial expected in 2026.

France has been in a state of political paralysis since mid-2024, when Macron decided to dissolve parliament and call early elections in an attempt to regain a majority.

However, the results backfired, producing a parliament divided between three major blocs: the left, the center, and the far right, hindering the formation of any stable government.

Lecornu’s predecessors, François Bayrou and Michel Barnier, had previously resigned after their governments failed to pass austerity plans.

Parliament is waiting… and a vote of no confidence was imminent.

Lecornu was scheduled to deliver his general policy speech to the French parliament on Tuesday, but threats from left-wing forces to submit a no-confidence motion had reached fever pitch, prompting him to resign before his legitimacy was tested in parliament.

French media quoted Ennahda Party sources as saying that Macron was pushing to form a government “capable of dialogue with the opposition,” but political divisions proved difficult to implement.

This resignation highlights the fragility of the political situation in France under Macron, and raises serious questions about the president’s ability to lead the next phase amid the rising influence of the far right and the radical left.

While Macron’s options remain limited, analysts believe the country is heading toward further institutional stagnation unless radical steps are taken to rebuild trust between the government and citizens and break the deep parliamentary divisions.