Sébastien Lecornu suddenly submitted his resignation as prime minister to President Emmanuel Macron on Monday after facing criticism from all fronts following the announcement of a new center-right coalition government. His resignation after only 27 days as the third minister in a year puts Macron in a very compromised position, practically forcing him to call for early elections due to the impossibility of forming a government with the current distribution of power in the National Assembly.
"You cannot be prime minister when the conditions are not met," stated Lecornu in a brief media appearance after submitting his resignation. "I have tried to build a path with social partners, employers, and trade unions, especially on issues that have been blocked for weeks," he added.
"I have tried to reactivate joint management and build a roadmap with a common foundation," he further stated, acknowledging his failure ultimately, a day before his scheduled appearance in the National Assembly to explain his government program.
Speaking to TF1, Bruno Retailleau stated that he does not feel responsible for Lecornu's downfall, accusing him of "hiding" the appointment of Bruno Le Maire (a close ally of Macron) as the new Minister of Economy. Retailleau claimed that Lecornu broke his promise of "change" and justified his party's withdrawal of support for a new center-right government coalition: "We cannot commit if there is no clear direction."
The leader of The Republicans admitted that "the spectacle currently unfolding at the national level is disappointing the French people" and demanded that Emmanuel Macron face his compatriots: "In the institutions of the Fifth Republic, the cornerstone is the president," he said. "If there is a deadlock, then it will be necessary to return to the polls, but I believe there are other steps before reaching that point."
The MEP of The Republicans, François-Xavier Bellamy, separately justified his party's last-minute U-turn: "We are here to serve the country, not to serve as a crutch. We had no choice but to reconsider our participation in the government."
Lecornu's resignation came after the threat from The Republicans' leader, Bruno Retailleau, to leave the coalition following the announcement of the new government, with 13 "renewed" ministers in their positions.
The presence of Macron supporter Bruno Le Maire in the new government was apparently the main reason for The Republicans' sudden withdrawal, the traditional right-wing party whose presence in the coalition formed mainly by centrist parties and those close to the president was the only guarantee of survival.
Marine Le Pen's National Rally, Jean-Luc Mélenchon's Unsubmissive France, and Olivier Faure's Socialist Party had already announced their intention to table a vote of no confidence against Lecornu and bring down his government without giving him a chance.
Following Lecornu's hasty resignation, fingers were pointed directly at the Élysée Palace. Mélenchon announced his intention to push for a motion, already backed by 104 deputies, to force the president's removal.
Financial markets reacted swiftly, with a 2% drop in the Paris Stock Exchange as soon as the news broke in the morning. The French, who went to bed on Sunday with news of the "new" coalition government after 25 days of political vacuum, reacted with a mix of astonishment and disbelief at the sudden turn of events.
Macron had given his "protégé" Lecornu an ultimatum until Sunday night to end the sense of "ungovernability" that had taken hold in France, amplified by three days of street protests demanding "social justice," following the failure of the austerity budget anticipated by centrist François Bayrou, which led to his resignation on September 9.
Lecornu took office the day after but faced significant challenges in convincing senior members of The Republicans, the party he belonged to until 2017 before defecting to the macronism ranks. In a special meeting held by The Republicans' deputies and senior officials, the party decided to unlock negotiations and approve his inclusion in a renewed government coalition with centrist forces (Renewal, Democratic Movement, Horizons, and Union of Independent Democrats).
Hours later, Lecornu announced his first 15 appointments, with several prominent members of his predecessor's cabinet retained in their positions, with Retailleau at the helm, followed by Jean-Noë Barrot (Foreign Affairs), Gérald Damanin (Justice), Rachida Dati (Culture), and Manuel Valls (Overseas).
Bruno Le Maire is the new Defense Minister (the position previously held by Lecornu) and Roland Lescure replaces the embattled Eric Lombard as Minister of Economy, the mastermind behind the austerity budget (with a cut of ¤43.8 billion and the elimination of two public holidays) that led to Bayrou's fall at the end of the summer.
Lecornu, 39 years old, the third prime minister in a year, had scheduled his first cabinet meeting for Monday and was set to present his government program in the National Assembly tomorrow. In his "roadmap" addressed to center-right leaders, he assured that his would "not be a budget of austerity or social regression" like the one presented by Bayrou that led to his downfall.
Calls for Macron's resignation echoed throughout the morning. Among them, Cannes Mayor and influential member of The Republicans, David Lisnard, stated: "France's interest requires Macron to schedule his resignation, to preserve the functioning of institutions and unlock an uncontrollable situation (...) The president is responsible for this situation, and the future of the Fifth Republic is at stake."
François Bayrou has called for "restraint" in a "serious and worrying" situation, as reported by Le Figaro. Meanwhile, Jordan Bardella has called for the dissolution of the National Assembly. "There can be no stability without returning to the polls and without dissolving the National Assembly," he said upon arriving at his party's headquarters. The leader of Unsubmissive France, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, has demanded an "immediate" examination of the motion presented by 104 deputies to remove Emmanuel Macron.
"Macron's resignation would be a wise decision," declared National Rally leader Marine Le Pen. "The dissolution of the National Assembly is absolutely necessary."
"Dissolution or resignation, as soon as possible," was the reaction of National Assembly Vice President Sébastien Chenu, a deputy of Le Pen's National Rally. "The state is in crisis, the disorder must cease."
Macron became the target of all criticisms for sidelining the political crisis in France and focusing in recent weeks on foreign policy, with efforts to recognize Palestine and his role in the recent summit on the Ukraine war and the Russian threat.
Macron had given Lecornu an ultimatum over the weekend to form a government after three weeks of frustrating negotiations. His "protégé" barely made it to the finish line in time, apparently securing the support of The Republicans, who then erupted in anger upon learning of the initial appointments.