Macron Faces Mounting Pressure to Call Snap Election or Step Down Amid Deepening French Political Crisis

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron is under growing pressure to call a snap parliamentary election—or even resign—as France’s ongoing political turmoil continues to deepen. The crisis, which has already forced the resignation of five prime ministers in less than two years, has plunged the eurozone’s second-largest economy into renewed instability.

The 47-year-old president, who was seen this week walking alone along the River Seine in apparent contemplation, has insisted that he will serve out his second term, which runs until 2027. But calls for his resignation—once limited to the political fringes—have now entered the mainstream amid one of the gravest crises since the founding of the Fifth Republic in 1958.

On Tuesday, Macron’s outgoing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held last-ditch talks in a bid to form a new government, while Édouard Philippe, Macron’s first prime minister in 2017 and a potential successor, publicly urged the president to step aside.

“He must now confront this dereliction of the state and make a decision worthy of his office,” Philippe told RTL radio. “In my view, that means ensuring the continuity of our institutions by leaving in an orderly manner.”

Allies Turn Against Macron

Philippe—widely seen as the best-positioned figure to lead the political center in a post-Macron landscape—was the second former prime minister in as many days to distance himself from the president.

Gabriel Attal, who briefly served as prime minister last year, was similarly critical. “Like many French people, I no longer understand the president’s decisions,” he told TF1 television, after Macron unexpectedly asked Lecornu—who had just resigned—to return for renewed talks with opposition leaders.

Lecornu, whose administration lasted just 14 hours, making it the shortest in modern French history, has been given two days to broker a new consensus. He is expected to meet leaders of Macron’s centrist alliance and conservative factions to explore the possibility of a coalition under a so-called “common platform.”

However, even with their support, Macron’s camp will need backing from the Socialists to secure a majority in the National Assembly and pass the upcoming budget bill.

“It’s a Mess”

Lecornu’s downfall came amid widespread anger over his newly announced cabinet, which critics said reflected continuity rather than change. Both allies and opponents denounced the reshuffle as tone-deaf to the public’s demand for renewal.

Bruno Retailleau, leader of the conservative Republicans, said he was reluctant to see his party absorbed into a Macron-led coalition but did not entirely rule out participation in a future government.

Meanwhile, far-right leader Marine Le Pen, whose National Rally party currently leads in opinion polls, has called for an early parliamentary election, insisting that only a new mandate can restore legitimacy and stability.

Market Jitters

The political chaos has rattled financial markets, with investors anxious over France’s ability to rein in its growing budget deficit. French stocks fell 1.4% on Monday, while the risk premium on government bond yields climbed to a nine-month high.

“It’s a mess. It makes you sad,” said Brigitte Gries, a 70-year-old pensioner in Paris.

“We’ve become a bit of a laughingstock around the world,” added taxi driver Soufiane Mansour in Montpellier. “France looks like a clown show right now—in Europe and beyond.”

As Macron weighs his next move, France’s political future hangs in the balance, with its once-stable presidency now facing its most profound test in decades.