President Macron’s Second Term Marked by Five Prime Minister Resignations

French President Emmanuel Macron has continued to face major political challenges since the start of his second term in 2022, as his government has been rocked by a wave of prime ministerial resignations.

When Macron won re-election in 2022, he appointed Élisabeth Borne as Prime Minister, succeeding Jean Castex, who had served for nearly two years.

Borne’s government soon ran into turmoil, largely due to controversial immigration and asylum reforms that proposed deporting undocumented migrants.

Her administration was further weakened after the 2022 parliamentary elections, which stripped Macron’s Renaissance party of its absolute majority making it difficult to pass key legislation.

In July 2024, Borne resigned at Macron’s request, as he sought to rebuild public and political support. She was replaced by Gabriel Attal, who served one year and 238 days as Prime Minister.

Attal, France’s youngest-ever prime minister, was seen as a fresh face for Macron’s Ensemble coalition, but his tenure was marred by fierce opposition from rival parties, including Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN).

The situation worsened after the 2024 European Parliament elections, in which Macron’s alliance suffered major losses. Macron then dissolved the French National Assembly and called for new elections, hoping to regain control.

However, the Ensemble coalition lost even more ground, forcing it to share government posts with opposition parties. In July 2024, Attal resigned after just 240 days in office, and was succeeded by Michel Barnier of the Republican Party (Les Républicains) that September.

Barnier’s government lasted only 99 days. He resigned in December 2024 after the French parliament rejected his proposed national budget.

Throughout this period, Macron’s prime ministers have struggled under the dominance of the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) coalition, which holds a parliamentary majority.

After Barnier’s resignation, Macron appointed François Bayrou, leader of the Democratic Movement (MoDem), who was tasked with addressing France’s economic woes, including budget deficits and public debt.

In September 2025, Bayrou presented a budget proposal aimed at saving €44 billion annually, but lawmakers rejected it, prompting his resignation and that of his entire cabinet, as required by French law.

On September 9, 2025, Macron appointed Sébastien Lecornu as the new Prime Minister. A former Defense Minister, he was expected to bring stability and continuity. However, opposition parties condemned his appointment, saying he was part of the failed previous governments.

Lecornu dismissed the criticism and formed a new cabinet on October 5, 2025, but it was quickly rejected by parliament. Just 27 days after taking office, on October 6, he too resigned.

The series of resignations has left President Macron in a deep political crisis, as government operations stall and critics accuse him of poor leadership with less than two years left in his term.

When Barnier resigned, opposition leaders called on Macron himself to step down. Macron rejected the calls, reminding the public that he was elected twice and would serve until the end of his mandate.

He stated: “I stand before you because I was elected twice by the French people. I take immense pride in that and will honor their trust with all my strength until the very last second of my term.”

President Macron is now under pressure to appoint yet another Prime Minister, though many believe that even a loyal appointee may not last long in the turbulent political climate. Opposition leaders have urged him to dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections.