The domino rally of French Prime Ministers has claimed another piece, with Sebastien Lecornu toppling over almost immediately after being set up. His resignation continues a disturbing pattern of instability at the head of the French government, where prime ministers are falling in rapid succession.
Lecornu was the latest domino placed in the line by President Emmanuel Macron, intended to stand firm and halt the chain reaction of collapses. He followed Francois Bayrou and Michel Barnier, both of whom were knocked over by a hostile parliament in disputes over the nation’s budget.
However, the political forces that toppled his predecessors had only grown stronger. The moment Lecornu’s cabinet was put in place, the next domino in the chain—the unified opposition—immediately fell against it. The criticism of his “unchanged” team was the push that sent him tumbling.
The speed of his fall was unprecedented. Unlike the others, who were toppled after a struggle, Lecornu fell in a matter of hours. This suggests that the momentum of this domino rally is accelerating, with each collapse making the next one faster and more inevitable.
This continuous cascade of falling prime ministers is the defining feature of France’s current political crisis. It leaves the country with a sense of perpetual motion without any forward progress. President Macron must now pick up the pieces and try to set up yet another domino, knowing full well that the chain is already in motion to knock it down.