Prime ministers fall, but Macron persists

French president faces a fragmented parliament and a growing deficit as he reappoints Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister

The French president Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed this Monday that does not intend to resigneven in the face of two motions of no confidence presented against his government, which could threaten his administration later this week. France is going through a one of the worst political crises in recent decadesmarked by successive minority governments struggling to approve budgets that reduce the deficitin a parliament deeply fragmented into three distinct ideological blocs.

In the last two years, Macron has already replaced five prime ministersa reflection of the instability that permeates the Élysée Palace. Many critics claim that the only way out of the crisis would be call new legislative elections or resign, but the president refuted these possibilities.

Macron takes firm stance on Egypt

Shortly after arriving at Egypt to participate in international meetings aimed at resolution of the conflict in GazaMacron adopted a defiant stance, holding his opponents responsible for destabilize the country. He reinforced that does not intend to resign before the end of his second term in 2027and stated:

“I guarantee continuity and stability, and I will continue to do so. Serving means serving, serving, serving.”

The statement echoes the president’s determination to maintain his administration despite mounting political pressure.

Sébastien Lecornu reappointed

On Friday, Macron reappointed Sébastien Lecornu to the position of prime minister, following his resignation at the beginning of the week. THE new cabinetannounced on Sunday night, maintained Big names in top positionsdespite Lecornu’s promise to form a ministry marked by renewal and diversity.

The government’s stability, however, remains uncertain. Both the extreme left, represented by the party Unsubmissive France (LFI)as for the extreme right of the National Rally (RN) presented motions of no confidence against the Prime Minister. The vote, probably scheduled for Thursday, still depends on the support of the socialists, who keep their options open.

Socialists condition their support on repeal of pension reform and the implementation of a tax on billionairesmeasures completely rejected by the right. The parliamentarian Philippe Brun commented to Reuters:

“There will be no censorship if the prime minister commits to abandon Article 49.3 and suspend pension reform.”

Remembering that Article 49.3 allows the government to pass laws without a vote in parliament, the socialists’ position indicates that the political impasse could intensify in the coming weeks.

Pressure on Lecornu

Sébastien Lecornu already holds the record for shortest term among French prime ministerswith just 27 days in its first period. He did not rule out resign again if it fails to meet its targets, especially at a time when budget approval has become a critical issue.

Jordan Bardella, president of RN, asked about the possibility of supporting the extreme left, told TF1 TV:

“I am not sectarian… I believe that France’s interest today is to ensure that Emmanuel Macron is detained.”

The comment reveals the unexpected strategic convergence between opposing forces around the objective of weakening the government.

Budget deficit and challenges

O new cabinet met for the first time on Monday afternoon, with the mission of presenting a budget until wednesday. France currently maintains the biggest deficit in the eurozoneand the succession of prime ministers has been tasked with approving increasingly stringent budget cuts.

Michel Barnier was the first to try, but he was overturned by parliament last December. His successor, François Bayrou, managed to approve the 2025 budget, but ended removed due to proposals for 2026. Macron held directly responsible the parties that seek to destabilize the government:

“The political forces that decided to vote against François Bayrou and the political forces that sought to destabilize Sébastien Lecornu are solely responsible for this confusion.”

With the country in an increasingly fragmented political landscape, Macron faces a battle of political survival and needs to balance pressures from the left and right while trying to maintain its economic and budgetary agenda.

With information from Reuters*