Five premiers in three years: Why French President Macron keeps changing prime ministers | Explained

File photo of France's newly appointed prime minister Sebastien Lecornu (L) and France's President Emmanuel Macron.

President Emmanuel Macron named close ally Sebastien Lecornu as the new French Prime Minister on Tuesday (September 9), a day after a confidence vote in parliament removed Francois Bayrou from the post. Lecornu, formerly defence minister, is the fifth person to hold the job since Macron’s re-election in 2022, highlighting the political instability that has gripped France. Successive premiers have fallen victim to a fractured National Assembly, repeated no-confidence motions and fierce resistance to Macron’s budget-cutting and reform agenda. Lecornu now faces the same uphill task: steering a deficit-reduction budget through a deeply divided parliament and a protest-weary country.

A fragmented national assembly

France’s National Assembly is split almost evenly between centrist, far-right and far-left blocs. No group holds a commanding majority, which makes it extremely difficult for any prime minister to steer legislation through parliament. Where countries like Germany or the Netherlands rely on formal coalitions, France’s Fifth Republic is not built on a coalition culture. Instead, the president appoints a prime minister and expects them to deliver votes on a case-by-case basis.

Frequent no-confidence votes

This fragmented chamber has meant repeated showdowns over budgets and reforms. Recent prime ministers have lost or nearly lost confidence votes because their plans alienated both the left and the right at the same time. With neither side willing to compromise, the government’s program often stalls and the prime minister becomes expendable.

Macron’s economic reforms

Macron’s second term has been defined by efforts to rein in public spending and reshape the economy. His governments have tried to trim welfare programs, overhaul pensions and slash budget deficits. Each attempt has provoked mass protests, strikes and fierce resistance from opposition parties. Even loyal prime ministers find themselves blamed for unpopular measures they are tasked with implementing.

A timeline of rapid turnover

Elisabeth Borne (May 2022 – Jan 2024): Oversaw pension reform that triggered months of strikes and lost support in parliament.

Gabriel Attal (Jan 2024 – Sep 2024): Resigned after failing to pass a major welfare overhaul.

Michel Barnier (Sep 2024 – Dec 2024): Lasted only three months amid clashes over spending cuts.

Francois Bayrou (Dec 2024 – Sep 2025): Ousted in a parliamentary vote over his deficit-reduction plan.

Sebastien Lecornu (Sep 2025 – present): A Macron loyalist and former defence minister now tasked with steering a 2026 budget through a hostile chamber.

The bigger picture

The revolving door at Matignon, the prime minister’s office, reflects Macron’s gamble of pursuing bold fiscal reforms without a secure majority. Each new premier is meant to reset relations with parliament and the public. Yet without a culture of formal coalition-building or a willingness to compromise on austerity measures, every prime minister inherits the same structural constraints.

Unless Macron changes tactics, the high turnover may continue, with each premier becoming a lightning rod for public anger and parliamentary frustration.