Imagine a government resigning just hours after taking office—a move so unprecedented it sends shockwaves through the nation and beyond. This is exactly what happened in France, plunging the country into an even deeper political crisis. But here’s where it gets controversial: Was this a desperate attempt to regain control, or a sign of a system on the brink of collapse? Let’s dive into the details.
On October 6, 2025, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and his newly appointed government resigned mere hours after announcing their cabinet lineup. This stunning development marked the shortest-lived government in modern French history, lasting a mere 14 hours. Lecornu himself had been in office for only 27 days, making him the fifth prime minister in just 21 months. And this is the part most people miss: The resignation came after weeks of intense consultations with political parties, yet the cabinet lineup managed to anger both allies and opponents, sparking questions about its viability in a fragmented parliament.
The fallout was immediate. The far-right National Rally called for snap parliamentary elections, while the hard-left France Unbowed demanded President Emmanuel Macron’s resignation. Financial markets reacted sharply, with Paris’ CAC 40 index dropping 2%—its worst one-day fall since August—and the euro sliding 0.7%. Banking shares took a particularly heavy hit, with BNP Paribas, Societe Generale, and Credit Agricole plummeting between 5.7% and 7.3%.
But why is this happening? France’s political instability has been brewing since Macron’s re-election in 2022, when no party secured a parliamentary majority. Macron’s decision to call a snap election last year only exacerbated the crisis, resulting in an even more divided parliament. The 1958 constitution, designed to ensure stable governance with a strong president and parliamentary majority, now seems ill-equipped to handle the current political landscape, where the far-right and hard-left hold significant sway.
Here’s the controversial question: Is France’s political system, once a model of stability, now outdated? Or is the problem deeper—a failure of leadership in an era of polarization? The opposition argues that stability can only return with new elections and the dissolution of the National Assembly. But with coalitions and consensus-building not part of France’s political DNA, the path forward looks uncertain.
As the crisis deepens, one thing is clear: France is facing its most profound political challenge since the creation of the Fifth Republic in 1958. The question now is whether Macron can navigate this turmoil or if the country is headed for even greater instability. What do you think? Is France’s political system in need of a radical overhaul, or can it weather this storm? Let us know in the comments—this is a debate worth having.
