Emmanuel Macron faces calls to step down after French PM resigns

French president Emmanuel Macron is under intense scrutiny and facing calls for his resignation, as two of his former prime ministers have conspicuously distanced themselves from his leadership following the recent collapse of his government.

Édouard Philippe, Mr Macron’s first prime minister after his 2017 election, and Gabriel Attal, appointed in January 2024 and once a loyal lieutenant, have both now distanced themselves. Mr Attal’s discontent reportedly stems from Macron’s controversial June 2024 decision to dissolve parliament’s powerful lower house – the catalyst for the current crisis.

Their separate decisions to distance themselves underscore the erosion of Mr Macron’s authority, attributed to his persistent struggle to deliver stable governance.

Political turmoil has gripped France for over a year, following the National Assembly’s dissolution and subsequent snap elections. This resulted in a parliament dominated by Mr Macron’s opponents, who have consistently brought down his minority governments.

Mr Attal, speaking Monday night to broadcaster TF1, struck the first blow, saying: “Like many French people, I no longer understand the president’s decisions.”

Mr Philippe then piled on more pressure Tuesday, saying that Mr Macron should call early presidential elections and step down after the National Assembly adopts a 2026 budget. Mr Macron has previously said that he’ll see out his second and last presidential term to its end in 2027.

Mr Philippe said Mr Macron “should say we cannot let what we have been experiencing for the past six months drag on. Another 18 months would be far too long and would harm France.”

The latest crisis erupted with the abrupt resignation on Monday of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu — Mr Macron’s fourth prime minister since the dissolution, after Mr Attal, Michel Barnier and Francois Bayrou.

After accepting Mr Lecornu’s resignation, Mr Macron then gave his 39-year-old ally another 48 hours to hold more “final negotiations” in the interest of national stability, an apparent last-ditch effort to find some sort of exit to the latest impasse and buy the French leader some time to decide on his next step.

Mr Lecornu met Tuesday with officials from the so-called Socle Commun — or “common platform” — a coalition of conservatives and centrists who had provided a base of support, albeit shaky, for Mr Macron’s prime ministers before shattering when Mr Lecornu named a new Cabinet on Sunday night.

The new government then collapsed less than 14 hours later, when conservative heavyweight Bruno Retailleau withdrew his support.

Mr Macron, now at record-low approval ratings, has not indicated his next move. His rivals have suggested three options: resign, call new elections, or appoint a prime minister from outside his political camp.

The third option, known as “cohabitation,” has been championed by left-wing parties. A leftist coalition, the New Popular Front, won the most seats in the 2024 French legislative election, beating back a far-right surge but failing to win a majority.

The alliance, however, quickly fell apart and both the socialists and the communists are now at odds with Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s far-left party, France Unbowed.

“It is the choice of cohabitation — being called to take responsibility and finally being able to truly change the lives of the French — which we prefer,” Green party leader Marine Tondelier told the France Televisions network.

On the other side, the far right is calling for snap elections. Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, currently leading by far in the polls, believes new legislative elections could work in its favour.

“I call on the president of the Republic to hear the suffering in the country, to come out of his isolation, and to dissolve the National Assembly,” National Rally president Jordan Bardella said. “We must go back to the French people so they can choose a majority for themselves. We are ready to take responsibility.”

Meanwhile, many French people sound disenchanted.

“The impression is that the Fifth Republic is on life support, on a respirator, on morphine, and maybe we should think about changing all that a bit,” Guillaume Glade, a 36-year-old worker, told The Associated Press. “There are cracks on all sides, and we can feel it.”