No one wants to be the French Prime Minister

“One cannot serve as prime minister when the necessary conditions are not met.”

Former, now present, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu made this remark on his short 26-day stint as prime minister in a resignation speech delivered on October 6th. He declared that his “mission is over” shortly after facing criticism for his ministerial lineup and in anticipation of a vote of no confidence led by the far-left France Unbowed party and the far-right National Rally.

Four days later, he was reappointed by Macron with a mandate to return to the role. Lecornu’s resignation made him the third French prime minister to leave office since December 2024. Lecornu’s reinstation illustrates the desperate attempt by President Emmanuel Macron to repair the volatile, divided state of French politics.  

Macron’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, and hold snap elections following his defeat in summer of 2024 has come back to haunt him. The result of the elections was a new parliament split into the left, center, and far-right, with no single group able to form a functioning government. This “hung parliament” has split the government between three ideologically opposed blocs, unable to compromise on France’s most pressing troubles, including the budget.

The budget problem has been the downfall for previous prime ministers Michel Barnier and François Bayrou. Under Bayrou, heavy cost-cutting measures were implemented that ultimately froze welfare, cut civil service jobs, and discarded two public holidays—all measures deeply reviled by the French. French debt currently amounts to 114% of GDP, with government spending high and the future of reforms, pensions, and the state of the historical French welfare system up in the air. 

Already, Lecornu has made attempts to resolve the budget crisis in his second term as Prime Minister. In his reappointment, he declared that “we must put an end to this political crisis that exasperates the French people and to the instability that is harmful to France’s image and its interests.”

Lecornu suspended the 2023 pension reform on October 15th under great pressure while advocating for more cost-cutting measures, though the exact numbers are up for debate. These moves work against the far-right and far-left, who have threatened to vote against Lecornu, but won over leftist support from the Socialist Party, with the group starkly against the 2023 reform. The pension suspension was a rare compromise from the prime minister and Parliament, yet illustrated a last-ditch effort to allow Lecornu to stay in power and survive the no-confidence vote. 

The institutional instability within parliament reflects wider than the National Assembly—it points to a weakened France, on both the European and world stage. Macron’s approval rating is at a record low of 14%, and his concession to the reform points to the end of Macronism and the collapse of his attempt to modernize France. 

The revolving door of Prime Ministers makes this position appear to be a “curse” greater than that of just the national debt problem. The lack of cohesion and compromise amongst the parties makes solving the economic issue nearly impossible, with reforms unable to pass parliament. The internal disorder within French politics further reflects a growing issue in Western Europe of unpredictable, increasingly polarized and fragmented politics. 

With vote of confidence after vote of confidence, and resignation after resignation, it is apparent—no one wants to be the French Prime Minister. Resolving the crises involves an uphill battle against the uncompromising political structure which no one seems able to face. 

Perhaps in his second run as prime minister, Lecornu will get closer to resolving the issues.

Or, he may simply resign again.