France’s deepening political turmoil has taken a new turn as former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe urged President Emmanuel Macron to appoint a new head of government to secure the national budget — and then dissolve the presidency by calling an early election to restore stability.
Philippe, who served under Macron between 2017 and 2020 and now leads the centrist Horizons Party, said he was not calling for Macron’s “immediate or abrupt resignation,” but insisted the president must “live up to his mandate and take responsibility” amid mounting chaos in Paris.
The call came after Sébastien Lecornu, France’s third prime minister in just one year, resigned on Monday when his attempt to form a functioning government collapsed.
Macron has asked Lecornu to deliver a final “stability plan” by Wednesday, but confidence in the president — even among his inner circle — is rapidly eroding.
Former prime minister and Renaissance Party leader Gabriel Attal, once one of Macron’s closest allies, said on national television that he “no longer understands the president’s decisions,” adding pointedly: “I think we should try something else.” Attal also urged Macron to share power with other political forces.
Until recently, calls for Macron to step down came largely from the far-left and far-right opposition. However, the latest criticism from within his own centrist ranks signals a widening fracture at the heart of his presidency.
The president, who has governed France since 2017, was seen walking alone along the River Seine in Paris on Monday, shadowed by security officers, as speculation about his political future intensified.
His aides said he would “take responsibility” if Lecornu’s final effort to form a stable government fails — though they declined to specify what that meant.
Macron’s centrist bloc lost its parliamentary majority following the snap election he called after a bruising defeat in last year’s European Parliament vote.
Since then, his administration has struggled to govern effectively, leaving France adrift in political uncertainty at a time of mounting economic and social strain.
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