70% of the French are "very" or "quite" in favor of the resignation of Emmanuel Macron as president, according to a survey by Odoxa-BackBone Consulting for Le Figaro. 87% consider him "totally" or "partially responsible" for the perpetual political crisis in the country, accentuated by the resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu after only 27 days.
Polls confirm the growing discontent towards Macron, shared by the political class and even by members of his party, Renaissance, like former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal: "I no longer understand the decisions of the President of the Republic." Attal, who had to resign in July 2024 due to early elections that left the National Assembly completely fragmented, stated that the president "gives the impression of wanting to maintain control in a relentless manner."
The centrist Edouard Philippe, leader of the Horizons party, openly called on Macron on Tuesday to "plan his resignation" after the Lecornu fiasco and to call for early presidential elections after the approval of an emergency budget for 2026.
Macron, who has seen his third prime minister fall in 13 months this week, has remained completely silent about the crisis to the public. In a last desperate attempt to save face, the president urged the resigning Lecornu to act as a mediator for the creation of an "action and stability platform" within 48 hours.
Macron has informed his circle that he is willing to "take responsibility" if by Wednesday night there is no agreement among the members of the center-right coalition, which collapsed at the last minute due to the leader of The Republicans, Bruno Retailleau, "losing confidence" in Lecornu because of the presence in his government of the Macronist Bruno Le Maire as Minister of Defense, a fact "hidden" until the last moment.
In hindsight, Retailleau has requested a bilateral meeting with Lecornu and has indicated that the doors are still open for possible participation of The Republicans, the traditional right-wing party, in a "cohabitation" government. Lecornu invited all political parties to the Matignon Palace on Tuesday to seek a negotiated solution to the crisis and was immediately met with a "no" from Marine Le Pen and her protégé Jordan Bardella, leading the National Rally, who advocate for the immediate calling of new elections.
Given the situation, 60% of the French now support a new dissolution of the National Assembly, compared to 20% who believe the crisis could be resolved with the appointment of a new prime minister, according to the Odoxa-BackBone survey. Despite blaming Macron, the French also consider the center-right coalition parties (85%) and the opposition parties (77%) "totally or partially" responsible for the situation.
The crisis has also highlighted divisions within the left bloc: while the leader of the Socialist Party Olivier Faure was willing to lead a center-left government, Jean-Luc Mélenchon's France Unbowed has given new impetus to the motion for Macron's removal as president, supported to date by a hundred deputies.