France’s Shortest-Lived Government Lasted Just 12 Hours

A political earthquake shook France on Monday, October 6, as Sébastien Lecornu’s government collapsed just hours after being formed. The Prime Minister tendered his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron, who accepted it, marking the shortest-lived government in French history, lasting only 12 hours.
A fleeting government and a crisis of legitimacy
Lecornu’s appointment, which came nearly a month after the fall of the Bayrou government, proved to be extremely short-lived. After presenting the first part of his cabinet on Sunday evening, the now former Prime Minister resigned following a morning meeting with Macron at the Élysée.
Despite promises of “rupture,” the cabinet’s composition provoked anger. Eleven ministers retained their portfolios, fueling discontent among the opposition and sparking divisions within the majority, particularly among Republicans led by Bruno Retailleau.
The reasons for a rapid collapse
Speaking from Matignon, Lecornu justified his resignation by declaring:
“Being Prime Minister is a difficult task. One cannot remain in office when conditions are not met.”
He cited three main reasons for his failure:
Political hypocrisy: parties refused to acknowledge his decision to break away from using Article 49.3.
Partisan obstruction: political groups acted “as if they all held the majority.”
Internal tensions: forming the cabinet was not smooth within the coalition.
He concluded with a warning: “Under no circumstances should we relive the dark moments of the Fourth Republic.”
Towards the dissolution of the National Assembly?
The resignation has reignited pressure for snap elections. National Assembly Speaker Jordan Bardella declared:
“There can be no stability without returning to the ballot box and dissolving the Assembly.”
Meanwhile, Jean-Luc Mélenchon demanded an “immediate examination” of the motion to impeach Emmanuel Macron, filed on September 9.
With this unprecedented crisis, all eyes now turn to the Élysée. Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce the dissolution of the National Assembly in the coming days, a move that seems increasingly inevitable to break the political deadlock.

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Gabriel MIHAI

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