A weekend of political chaos has left France without a functioning government, as the administration of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu was formed on Sunday only to fall apart by Monday. This rapid sequence of events highlights the extreme volatility of the nation’s political situation.
On Sunday, there was the appearance of progress. After weeks of anticipation, Prime Minister Lecornu, an appointee of President Emmanuel Macron, finally announced his new cabinet. The move was intended to end a period of uncertainty and set a new course for the government. The first meeting of this new team was scheduled for Monday morning.
However, over the next few hours, the plan completely unraveled. The cabinet announcement, instead of being a foundation for stability, acted as a catalyst for crisis. A storm of criticism erupted from all political corners, with opponents and even allies decrying the lack of change in the ministerial lineup. The government’s legitimacy was challenged before it had even been sworn in.
By Monday morning, the situation was irretrievable. The scheduled cabinet meeting was overshadowed by the news that the Prime Minister was at the Elysee Palace tendering his resignation. The government that had been born on Sunday was dead by Monday, a victim of a political backlash that had spiraled out of control over the weekend.
This weekend of chaos has plunged France deeper into a crisis with no easy exit. It demonstrates a political system where consensus is so frayed that the simple act of forming a government is enough to trigger its collapse, leaving the country to face its significant economic challenges in a state of leaderless disarray.
A Weekend of Chaos: How France’s Government Fell Apart Between Sunday and Monday
