Lecornu resignation: France’s elusive search for political stability

The current crisis in French polity dates back to the collapse of the traditional political system that revolved around the centre-Left and centre-Right outfits

France’s tryst with instability has continued with prime minister Sébastien Lecornu resigning after just 27 days in office. However, President Emmanuel Macron has asked him to “pursue negotiations” with the opposition parties. That Lecornu is the third prime minister to resign in less than a year reveals a lot about the unsettled nature of the French polity. The snap polls last year delivered a fractured verdict with three clear ideological blocs — the Left, the far Right and Macron’s own centre-right alliance — emerging with none anywhere close to a clear majority. Attempts to build convenient coalitions of opposing groups have failed to provide stable governments, leading to a political and economic crisis. The markets have responded negatively to the instability in Europe’s second-largest economy.

That Lecornu is the third prime minister to resign in less than a year reveals a lot about the unsettled nature of the French polity. (AP)

The current crisis in French polity dates back to the collapse of the traditional political system that revolved around the centre-Left and centre-Right outfits. The arrival of Macron, and the founding of his party, the Renaissance, in 2016 as a force and the parallel rise of the far-Right outfight, the National Rally, has unsettled the political space with no party in a position to swing the election. Old certainties around the Fifth Republic have weakened, and issues such as migration, coupled with economic problems, make it nearly impossible to build consensus on policies and form stable coalitions. This is also the reason why elections are failing to produce clear verdicts. Macron can try to appoint a new prime minister or dissolve the National Assembly and call for fresh legislative elections. That, however, is unlikely to provide clear solutions to the looming economic crisis that can impact Macron’s party’s chances when his presidential mandate ends in 2027.