Former French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe urges President Emmanuel Macron to call early elections as France faces record debt, stalled reforms, and political instability following the collapse of Sebastien Lecornu’s short-lived government.
Philippe Warns of “Collapse of the State”
Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has urged President Emmanuel Macron to call an early presidential election, warning that France risks a “collapse of the state” amid spiraling debt, stalled reforms, and leadership paralysis.
Speaking to RTL Radio on Tuesday, Philippe — a key Macron ally turned potential rival in the 2027 presidential race — said that the nation’s worsening crisis demanded urgent action. “The situation is no longer sustainable,” he declared, adding that France needs a “new mandate and a new direction.”
France’s public debt has reached €3.4 trillion ($4 trillion), the third-highest in the EU after Greece and Italy, putting immense pressure on Macron’s administration to restore investor confidence and pass a viable budget.
Government in Turmoil
The crisis deepened this week after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned on Monday — less than 24 hours after presenting his cabinet. His newly announced lineup was widely criticised for featuring many figures from Macron’s previous government, triggering backlash from across the political spectrum.
Lecornu’s resignation made his administration the shortest-lived government in modern French history. Despite stepping down, he agreed to Macron’s request to conduct cross-party talks aimed at stabilising the political landscape before a new government is formed.
On Tuesday, Lecornu began meeting with Les Républicains and Renaissance Party leaders, including Senate chief Gérard Larcher and National Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet, in an attempt to forge a “platform of action and stability.”
However, insiders say the scope of Lecornu’s authority during these talks remains uncertain, as political divisions deepen and Macron faces growing dissent within his own centrist ranks.
Calls for a New Direction
Adding to Macron’s woes, former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, now a centrist lawmaker, publicly voiced frustration with the president’s handling of the crisis.
“Like many French people, I do not understand the president’s decisions anymore,” Attal said, calling for a “new approach” to restore public trust and political coherence.
Philippe’s intervention signals a dramatic escalation in France’s unfolding political turmoil — and underscores a widening fracture within Macron’s once-dominant centrist movement.
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