French politics has recently been pushed as if the fast forward button, on October 6th, the new prime minister Le Corneille suddenly announced his resignation 27 days ago, becoming the "shortest" head of government in French history.
This sudden disruption not only left the Elysée out of hand, but also nerved the whole of Europe.
The Paris stock market followed the decline, and the European Union began to speak out frequently, fearing that France's increasingly heavy debt pressure might bring about a chain reaction.
An apparent wave of replacement of the prime minister exposes the double situation of French fiscal and political governance, and the deeper question is how long will Macron’s government last?
How did the 27-day “premium trial” end so quickly?
Le Corny's resignation is said to be a personal choice, rather than a political reality pushing into a corner.
The new prime minister was originally a member of the Macron camp, and was still performing well in the Ministry of Defense, but after he was promoted to the prime minister, he took the first step.
As soon as the new cabinet list came out, the outside world was generally disappointed. Those important positions that should have been "refreshed" hardly changed much.
The old face who was once in charge of finance was transferred to manage the military. This change was regarded as "a substitution on the surface but not a change in substance", making many allies who originally had expectations directly turn against each other.
Worse, Parliament doesn’t give him a chance at all, the current parliamentary structure in France is extremely complex, with no party holding a majority, and all policies stuck on the threshold of parliamentary voting.
Le Corny had to face this reality when he took office, the budget failed, reforms were not supported by anyone, and the voices of opposition were rising every day.
In this environment, it is almost impossible to maintain an effective government.
Without parliamentary support and failing to come up with a convincing new policy, Le Corney's departure can only be said to be a matter of time. Rather than continuing to bear on, he chose to "get off the bus" quickly.
The end of this "27-day probation period" is not an emergency, but a clear development of the focus of French political structure.
France's debt
If the resignation of the prime minister is a spark, then the financial problems of France are the real explosive package.
France’s current level of debt has long exceeded the EU standards, and the deficit has remained high for years, with several government changes over the years, but the fiscal situation has not fundamentally improved.
The European Union has long expressed its dissatisfaction many times, believing that France's fiscal policy not only lacks constraints, but also affects the stability of the whole euro zone.
Although no formal punishment has yet been initiated, confidence in France is rapidly eroding, judging by the reaction of EU statistical agencies, national finance officials and financial markets.
And the shock in the Paris stock market can also be seen as a market response to this "uncontrolled finance", the more realistic question is, how to repay this account?
If the government continues to expand spending, the deficit continues to rise, and the debt snowball rolls bigger and bigger, eventually only evolving into a comprehensive credit crisis.
But if we choose the austerity route, cut welfare and raise taxes, the public's rebound will come immediately.
In the past few years, France has experienced fierce opposition to issues such as pension reforms, street protests, strikes, social conflicts, and how much room the government has to push for real tax reform.
In this dilemma, the financial problem is no longer a purely economic problem, but a problem of political survival.
Any new prime minister who takes office will be overwhelmed by debt at first, and Leclerc will not be able to solve the problem, and the next will not necessarily be a miracle.
How long can Macron last
The prime minister’s resignation has undoubtedly made Macron even more isolated, as a president, who has theoretically the power to appoint the government, but in real operation is increasingly like a passive “mediator” whoins balance.
He wants to find a prime minister who can both implement reforms and appease parliament, but at present, no one can meet both conditions at the same time.
More importantly, Macron himself has also put his emphasis on diplomacy.
In the past few months, he has frequently appeared at international conferences and actively participated in various geopolitical affairs, especially on issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and European security.
However, France's domestic financial and political situation is obviously out of control, and people are increasingly criticizing him for "emphasizing diplomacy and neglecting internal affairs."
At the same time, far-right forces are silently accumulating power, with Le Pen, the leader of the National League, and her allies calling for early elections while constantly creating resistance in parliament.
They seized the weakness of debt and out-of-control finance, and fiercely attacked Macron's government for "losing its ability to govern". In the current political atmosphere, these extreme voices are more likely to attract voters.
Judging from polls, support for the extreme right is indeed rising, while the middle forces are significantly weakening.
If this trend continues, the 2027 presidential election could completely rewrite the political map of France, and whether Macron's camp will last until then is unknown.
The crisis exposes the problems of France.
The political chaos in France this time is not only a struggle within one country, but also affects the nerves of the entire EU.
Countries such as Germany have clearly expressed concern about France's financial situation, believing that this is not only a "French problem", but also a risk point of financial stability in Europe as a whole.
After all, France is one of the pillars of the eurozone, and it will be harder for the EU to stabilize its markets even if it has a credit shock.
More importantly, the crisis has exposed a long-standing contradiction within Europe between uniform standards for fiscal discipline and the complex realities of domestic politics in various countries.
France is now the most typical example. It wants to meet the EU's financial requirements but does not dare to offend the domestic people. As a result, it is in a dilemma and its policies are inefficient.
Le Corney's resignation is only a superficial manifestation of this crux. The real problem is the ability of the entire system to adapt in the face of complex challenges.
If French politics continues to plunge into domestic consumption and fail to reach a basic consensus on fiscal policy, then the future is not only a question of the prime minister, but the legitimacy of the entire government will be questioned.
conclusion
The 27-day career of the prime minister ended, but the political turmoil in France is far from over, with debt crashes, parliamentary impasse, split opinions, and the rise of extremist powers, all unresolved and overlapping.
At present, Macron has no intention of resigning, and he refuses to hold an early general election, but the reality will not give in because of his determination. He is in the most embarrassing position, neither promoting reform nor stabilizing the political situation.
If the situation continues to slide towards rigidity and chaos, France may face a more serious constitutional crisis, and this storm will also affect the core stability of the entire EU.
reference
Why did French Prime Minister Le Corney suddenly resign in just 27 days? how will Macron respond? 2025-10-06 23:30