Six premiers in three years: Why French President Macron’s government keeps falling apart | Explained

FILE PHOTO -- France's President Emmanuel Macron (L) and France's Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu leave following the annual Bastille Day military parade on the Champs-Elysees Avenue in Paris on July 14, 2025. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

France’s political crisis deepened on Monday as President Emmanuel Macron accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, just hours after unveiling his cabinet. Lecornu, a close ally and former defence minister, had only been appointed last month but quickly ran into the same roadblocks that brought down his predecessors. The new cabinet faced fierce criticism across party lines, and the prospect of winning parliamentary approval for an austerity budget looked increasingly impossible.

Lecornu is now the sixth prime minister to exit in three years, underlining the deadlock created by a fragmented National Assembly, repeated no-confidence votes and widespread opposition to Macron’s spending cuts and reform agenda.

Why Macron keeps losing prime ministers

A divided parliament: Since Macron lost his majority in snap elections last year, the National Assembly has been split almost evenly between centrists, the far-right, and the left. Unlike in Germany or the Netherlands, France does not rely on coalition governments, which makes it harder to build stable alliances.

Frequent no-confidence battles: Every major budget or reform plan sparks confrontation. Recent prime ministers have been ousted or forced to quit after losing, or nearly losing, confidence votes. The opposition sees toppling premiers as the only way to block Macron’s agenda.

Macron’s unpopular reforms: Macron has pushed hard to reduce France’s soaring public debt, now the third highest in the EU. Efforts to cut welfare, raise the retirement age, and shrink deficits have triggered strikes, protests and political resistance. Prime ministers tasked with selling these measures quickly lose public and parliamentary support.

A revolving door at Matignon: Since 2022, Macron has cycled through Elisabeth Borne, Gabriel Attal, Michel Barnier, Francois Bayrou and now Sebastien Lecornu. Each was meant to reset relations with parliament and the public, but structural deadlock makes every premier expendable.

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 – Oct 2025): A Macron loyalist and former defence minister, resigned just weeks into the job after unveiling a widely criticised cabinet and facing certain defeat on the budget.

The bigger picture

The constant turnover reflects not just leadership problems but deeper flaws in Macron’s strategy. By pushing bold reforms without building consensus, he leaves each prime minister as a lightning rod for anger. Unless he changes course, the cycle of rapid resignations is likely to continue.