A perfect storm of economic woes and political blows is battering France, culminating in the resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu just hours after he formed a government. This latest political casualty is a direct result of the toxic interplay between the country’s dire financial situation and its fractured, hyper-partisan political landscape.
On the economic front, France is grappling with a public debt that has reached a record high. Its debt-to-GDP ratio is the third-highest in the EU, a statistic that looms over every political decision, especially those related to spending. This economic pressure creates an environment where compromise is scarce and political tensions run high.
It was this environment that claimed Lecornu’s two predecessors, who were ousted by parliament in disputes over the budget. When Lecornu announced his “largely unchanged” cabinet, it was seen through this economic lens: as a failure to present a team capable of tackling the financial crisis. This perception triggered the devastating political blowback.
The backlash was swift and fatal. The opposition, already primed for a fight over economic policy, used the cabinet announcement as an opportunity to declare the entire government illegitimate. This political maneuvering left Lecornu with no room to operate, forcing his resignation and demonstrating how economic anxieties are directly fueling political instability.
The result is a vicious cycle. The economic crisis demands a strong, stable government, but the political infighting, exacerbated by those very economic woes, makes forming such a government impossible. Lecornu’s resignation is the latest turn in this downward spiral, and there is no clear path out of the storm for President Macron.