The French Government Collapses Less than 14 Hours After Appointment

Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu leaving after delivering a statement at the Hotel Matignon in Paris, France after presenting his government's resignation to President Emmanuel Macron on October 6, 2025. Courtesy of Reuters.

On October 6, 2025, citizens of France witnessed the abrupt resignation of Emmanuel Macron’s Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu. After serving less than a month in office, Lecornu resigned right after naming his government, prompting global concern as France’s political crisis deepened. This sudden collapse of the government revealed the fragile nature of Macron’s governing coalition, prompting further discussion of the political and economic repercussions for France and Macron’s next steps. 

Earlier this year, President Macron decided to dissolve the National Assembly. Originally intending to strengthen his centrist alliance as opposed to the left and right, this decision instead resulted in a hung parliament in which no single bloc (left, centrist, or right) held the governing majority. Because of the division among the three blocs, France has been forced into coalition governance—a system of government uncommon in French political tradition. This further complicated communication and agreement on political matters across the blocs. Prior to his decision to dissolve the National Assembly and appoint Lecornu, in September 2024, President Macron appointed Michel Barnier as prime minister in hopes of strengthening his centrist alliance. However, without securing a clear majority in the 577-seat legislature, he failed to pass legislation that would aid Macron’s desired goal. Growing frustration from the left wing’s New Popular Front and Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, now led by Jordan Bardella, led members of the National Assembly to call a vote of no confidence, arguing that the current government no longer held majority support. Following Barnier’s fall, Macron turned his sights to François Bayrou in order to bridge the divide between the three political blocs. However, just like Barnier’s efforts, Bayrou faced the same structural problem of an uncooperative parliament. Eventually, this led to his failure to gain support for his minority government that proposed measures taking strides towards reducing the country’s public debt and deficit, ultimately forcing his resignation. Essentially, the inheritance of a government with repeated structural weaknesses that show patterns of political instability seems to be the leading cause of Lecornu’s downfall. The outcomes of France’s previous cabinets demonstrate that any new government must operate within a system designed for majority rule, rather than the current fractured political landscape of three blocs unwilling to cooperate. 

Following the replacement of Bayrou, Macron’s appointment of Lecornu as Prime Minister and his cabinet choices on September 9 set off widespread criticism, especially for many key coalition partners. Important figures from Les Républicains (LR), a traditionally right-centered party, signaled their intent to withdraw parliamentary support in response to Macron’s decisions. Additionally, the vice president of the LR, Julien Aubert, even said “Reappointing the same prime minister after such a circus is a provocation – the messaging is terrible.” 

On the left, members of the New Popular Front condemned Lecornu’s cabinet choices, claiming them to be a continuation of Macron’s neoliberal agenda. This eruption of criticism led to Lecornu’s resignation in early October, dismantling the cabinet just 14 hours after the ministers had been sworn in and making his government the shortest in the history of the Fifth Republic. 

Due to the instability Macron’s cabinet is facing, his struggle for legitimacy has led to political repercussions within France’s government. Former allies of Macron, including Edouard Philippe and Gabriel Attal, have publicly voiced their opposition and concern for the future of France under Macron’s leadership. As tensions increase, calls from both the left and right are being made for Macron to resign or dissolve parliament. This outcome of repeated government collapse is testing the strength of the Fifth Republic, sparking questions of its promise of a powerful presidency over a fragmented legislature. Additionally, the impacts on party alliances and dynamics is substantial as we see centrists, conservatives, socialists, and far-right factions reassessing their strategies within their respective blocs. In France’s deeply divided government, each bloc continues to grapple with which parties to include or exclude, intensifying tensions.

The lasting effects of this collapse are now in the wake of Macron’s next battle: executing the 2026 budget. However, the absence of a stable government heightens the risk for Macron with the current hung parliament, chance of no-confidence votes, and more immediate concerns from within the blocs to address a high budget deficit. Options Macron now faces vary: reappoint Lecorn and try a revised, broader coalition; name a new prime minister from a different bloc in order to signal his efforts toward political equality and change; dissolve the National Assembly and call snap elections, risking a stronger far-right presence; or the more unlikely possibility in which he resigns himself. 

Lecornu’s government collapsing in just under a day makes way for the broader implications of this outcome to weigh in. The stakes of this event go beyond France. If the world’s seventh largest economy cannot maintain a stable government, its weakness will lead to issues within EU policymaking and the balance of power among continental democracies. As of now, the rest of the world, but more specifically members of the Fifth Republic of France. Macron’s next steps will not only define the next cabinet, but determine how well the Fifth Republic is able to adapt to political instability.