After eight years in office, Emmanuel Macron's position as president is coming under increasing pressure as France's political crisis escalates.
Macron once called himself maître des horloges - master of the clocks - but his command of timing is not what it was. For the third time in a year his choice of prime minister has resigned, and opinion polls suggest almost three-quarters of voters think the president should step down too.
Long-time ally Édouard Philippe, who served as Macron's first prime minister from 2017-20, has urged him to appoint a technocrat prime minister and call presidential elections in an orderly manner.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced his resignation after only 26 days in the job, marking another twist in a long series of upheavals with Macron's government. The political drama intensifies as Lecornu stays on for emergency talks to maintain stability.
The political upheaval began with Macron's decision to call a snap parliamentary election in June 2024, resulting in a hung parliament where several parties are now vying for power. Each faction is aware of the looming 2027 presidential election and the implications of a potential snap election.
The biggest challenge facing Lecornu and his predecessors has been how to manage France's staggering national debt, projected to exceed €3,300 billion. Attempts to tackle this have often ended in failure, as seen with the short tenures of previous prime ministers.
Lecornu's resignation indicates a disjointed political landscape where negotiations among parties are becoming increasingly fraught. The future options available to Macron entail either forming a new government or facing a potential dissolution of the parliament, which would likely favor opposition parties, specifically the hard-right National Rally.
As Macron grapples with rising discontent and a fractious political environment, the metaphorical clock is ticking on his presidency, leaving many questioning whether he can stabilize the situation or if France's wariness might usher in a new leader sooner rather than later.
