French turmoil deepens as ex-PM Philippe shocks Macron with resignation call

France’s political crisis entered a new and dramatic phase on Tuesday after former prime minister Edouard Philippe publicly urged President Emmanuel Macron to resign, warning that only his departure could restore stability.

Philippe, who served as Macron’s longest-running prime minister between 2017 and 2020 and now leads his own allied party, said the president should step aside “in an orderly and dignified manner” once a budget is passed, AFP reported.

His comments, described by Le Parisien as a “political bomb,” underscored the growing revolt inside Macron’s camp as his second mandate unravels.

The latest turmoil came just a day after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, appointed less than a month ago, quit after failing to rally support for his fragile government. Macron had tasked him with building a coalition, but the far right refused to even attend talks and negotiations collapsed.

France has been mired in political paralysis since Macron’s gamble on snap legislative elections in summer 2024 backfired, producing a hung parliament and strengthening Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally.

Pressure mounts on Macron

Philippe, who has already declared his 2027 presidential bid, said Macron had a duty to ensure France “emerges in an orderly and dignified manner from a political crisis that is harming the country.”

Le Monde, in a biting editorial, accused the president of presiding over the “unravelling” of his second term and noted that his domestic isolation contrasts with his activism abroad, particularly his joint efforts with U.S. President Donald Trump to push for peace in Ukraine.

Macron is constitutionally barred from seeking a third term in 2027, but his grip on power has been weakened by repeated cabinet reshuffles. Lecornu was his seventh prime minister since 2017, and Macron could either reappoint him, choose yet another premier, or risk another round of legislative elections.

Gabriel Attal, ousted as prime minister during the failed 2024 election gamble and now leader of Macron’s party, openly criticised the president’s “determination to keep control,” saying: “I no longer understand the president’s decisions.”

Far right senses opportunity

Marine Le Pen, still clouded by a fraud conviction that may bar her 2027 run, also urged Macron to step down while insisting that new legislative polls were “absolutely necessary.” National Rally leader Jordan Bardella, widely seen as her successor, rejected Lecornu’s invitation for talks, accusing Macron of seeking only to protect his personal authority.

France’s next president will inherit daunting challenges, including passing an austerity budget as public debt hits record highs. For now, Macron faces a restless parliament, angry allies, and mounting pressure to choose between clinging to power or calling time on his troubled second term.