On October 6, France’s prime minister Le Corneille, who had resigned for less than 24 hours, announced his resignation. A recent poll showed that Macron’s support fell to a record low. According to the latest data released by the French National Institute for Statistics and Economic Research (INSEE) for 2025, French debt is high, and the deficit rate has broken by 5.8 percent. A series of authoritative reports and media surveys have jointly demonstrated the high uncertainty of French politics.
Three-foot parliamentary pattern, government trouble is difficult to understand
Since the establishment of the French Fifth Republic in 1958, politics has never been so divided as in 2025. In 2022, although Macron was successfully re-elected as president with more than half of the votes, the election results of the National Assembly have completely changed the French political ecology. The left-wing "New People's Front", the far-right "National Alliance" and the centrist faction led by Macron divided the world into three, and the parliament fell into a "three-pronged confrontation" situation. The ruling party only won 161 seats, far from reaching an absolute majority. The Left Alliance holds 190 seats and the extreme right also holds 123 seats.
Under this pattern, the French government no longer has a stable parliamentary base. Over the past year, France has undergone seven prime ministers change, reaching the rare rate of change in the Fifth Republic. In September 2025, the Beirut fiscal austerity budget was vetoed by Congress and reluctantly resigned. Later, Sebastian Leclerc was appointed as the new prime minister.
The fragmentation and polarization of parliament make it difficult for any new prime minister to promote policy. The government's proposed fiscal reforms, social security adjustments, immigration policies and other laws are repeatedly blocked in parliament, and the political impasse has intensified. The French media "World Journal" commented that the balance between government and parliament has failed and national governance has fallen into a "paralysis of decision-making".
Financial pressure and social anxiety continue to accumulate
The shadow of the epidemic has not yet faded, and anxiety in French society continues to heat up. The rural medical system has been severely damaged, and township hospitals have been closed in large areas; public hospitals in large cities are in serious shortage of beds. French economist Jean-Pierre Viyet pointed out that insufficient investment in public services and declining sustainability of the welfare system are becoming core factors triggering social dissatisfaction.
The people's distrust of the ruling team is also reflected in the support rate. The latest BVA poll shows that Macron's approval rating has dropped to a record low. People generally believe that the government's economic policies are biased towards large enterprises, wealth distribution is unfair, and ordinary families are under increasing pressure.
Political impeachment begins again, extreme right-wing leader Le Pen rises
French political instability is reflected not only in government changes, but also in the threat of impeachment faced by the president. Under the French Constitution, the impeachment process against the president can only be initiated with the joint signature of 58 members of the National Assembly or 35 members of the Senate. In 2024, Macron suffered impeachment, although he was not removed, but now the support rate has plummeted and the risk of impeachment has steadily increased.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right party National League, has become the most prominent political figure in the world, advocating for priorities for France, trade protection, reducing the tax burden on small and medium-sized enterprises, and withdrawing from the NATO system, calling for an autonomous national defence policy. According to the latest Figarot survey, Le Pen’s support continues to rise, and some polls even show that it has surpassed Macron’s governing coalition.
If Macron is impeached or loses the election in 2027, France is highly likely to have the first female president. French sociologist Bruno Cotterley analyses, “Le Pen’s rise reflects not only the division of society, but also the loss of confidence in the old political system.”
Crisis in the Cabinet and dissolution of public opinion, where did France go?
The 24-hour prime minister career of Sebastian Leclerc is a shadow of French political chaos. According to the Liberation newspaper, Leclerc’s resignation was directly caused by the strong wave of opposition in the National Assembly and the opposition’s threat of an immediate vote of no confidence. In a situation like this, any ruling party candidate would find it difficult to get effective support in the parliament. The French government seemed to be in a “rotating door” situation, with political shows and technical bureaucrats turning up.
Macron's policies frequently encounter public protests. Pension reform, tightening of immigration policy, and budget cuts in health care and education have all aroused strong rebounds from all walks of life. Ma Linhe, an assistant researcher at the French Academy of Social Sciences, pointed out in an interview with Chinese media that "France has fallen into a vicious circle of political turmoil-stagnation of reform-intensification of crisis."
Strikes, protests, and social movements have become almost normal.In the spring of 2025, mass protests broke out in major cities such as Paris and Marseille to protest the government's cuts in social welfare.The French trade union CGT said that the government failed to respond to the demands of the people at the bottom, leading to further social fragmentation.
On the eve of the turmoil, the future of France is in trouble.
Parliamentary balances failure, frequent changes of prime ministers, increased risk of presidential impeachment, and the unstoppable rise of far-right leader Le Pen. The crisis of social confidence in France is intertwined with economic difficulties, and the national governance model is facing reconstruction.
Global media and think tanks are paying close attention to the direction of the situation in France. The American magazine "Foreign Affairs" commented that France's political experiments have become a vane on the European continent. If Le Pen enters the Elysee Palace as he wishes, France will usher in an unprecedented period of transformation.
Will France become the first EU power led by far-right women? There are still many variables in the political direction. What is certain is that France is experiencing a far-reaching storm, and every personnel change and every parliamentary vote is a key node in the future pattern. France's next step, the whole world is watching.
Reference: Breaking: The day after the formal cabinet formation, the French Prime Minister resigned
2025-10-06 16:26 · The World Times