Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
French PM Quits, Shortest Tenure Ever
The French political mess got worse with the resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has resigned. President Emmanuel Macron appointed him on September 9, making his time as PM the shortest in the history of the Fifth Republic. Moreover, the resignation occurred just hours after he had presented his cabinet to the country. Mr. Macron can now appoint someone else to deal with the mess, and one would be surprised if any politician in France could do much better than Mr. Lecornu. Or he can dissolve the legislature and hold new elections hoping a different arithmetic in the National Assembly will make the job of governing easier. Or Mr. Macron could resign himself. New parliamentary elections are the most likely result.
The Associated Press reported, "Despite more than three weeks of efforts to secure enough support to avoid a no-confidence vote, Lecornu was forced out just hours after forming his Cabinet on Sunday, having lost the support of conservatives who hold 50 seats and who objected to his choice for defense minister."
The Elysee Palace has said that Mr. Lecornu should continue holding "final negotiations" in the desperate hope that he can pull a rabbit from the hat and find a majority in the assembly. While the forms must be observed here, the odds are slim because of the compositon of the legislature. Mr. Lecornu in the center can count on 210 votes while the far right and far left have 320 between them. Obviously, they will only work together to bring down the government as both sides there want new elections. Given the failure of Mr. Lecornu so far, it is improbable that any grouping of any size will join him. Rats do not climb aboard sinking vessels.
And sinking it is. The AP also said, "Lecornu's main task would have been to pass a budget, as France is faced with a debt crisis. At the end of the first quarter of 2025, France's public debt stood at 3.346 trillion euros ($3.9 trillion), or 114% of gross domestic product. Debt servicing remains a major budget item, accounting for around 7% of state spending."
Quite why a politician would want that in the in-tray is hard to say, but ambition does odd things to the thought processes. Raising taxes and cutting services is the way to go economically, but politically, that is not getting off the ground.
The idea that Mr. Macron could go before his term ends in 2027 may pick up steam as the problem festers. If he were to go, it would mean Senate President Gerard Lacher would assume the duties of president as a transitional figure. New presidential elections would take place within 20-25 days. While one expects this to happen after a parliamentary election produces another uselessly hung parliament, it would be a way to break the logjam now.
France has three main political groupings in the legislature: the far-right National Rally of Marine Le Pen, the left-wing bloc that ranges from mildly pink to bright red, and the centrists under Mr. Macron. As the AP notes, "None has a workable majority, and each is more focused on sharpening its position ahead of the 2027 presidential race than on compromise."
By bringing the election for president forward, Mr. Macron would force an end to the position sharpening. The newly elected president would have a fresh mandate to govern in a way Mr. Macron lacks at present. He is unlikely to quit because he fears Ms. Le Pen would be the next president, and by any measure, that would be bad for France and Europe.
There is something lacking in present-day French politics (and most other places as well), and that is courage. Someone is going to have to take a risk. Someone is going to have to stick a neck out. The longer it takes, the worse this will get.
© Copyright 2025 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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