Less than a day after stepping down, Sébastien Lecornu has found himself back at the heart of government—this time in a role that seems oddly contradictory. President Emmanuel Macron has tasked him with rallying political forces and easing tensions, even though Lecornu’s resignation symbolized just how stuck the executive branch really is. Now, he’s been handed the job of bringing together party leaders and the heads of both parliamentary chambers in a last-ditch effort to stitch together a majority that no longer seems to exist.
According to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, Tuesday’s discussions focused on two flashpoints: passing the national and social security budgets, and addressing the deteriorating situation in New Caledonia. These issues weren’t picked at random—they represent urgent challenges that could, at the very least, unite political leaders around a shared sense of crisis. While the statement claims that everyone agreed on the importance of the moment, it leaves out any detail on actual proposals or whether there’s even a path to compromise.
In practice, this frantic round of political talks—set to wrap up within 48 hours—looks more like a public relations effort than a genuine attempt to negotiate. There’s no sign that any positions have shifted, and no indication that opposition parties, many of which are both divided among themselves and deeply hostile to Macron’s agenda, are ready to back a budget that would tie them directly to a government they oppose.
Lecornu’s sudden return to the political spotlight, despite his resignation, only reinforces the impression of an administration flying by the seat of its pants. The government appears caught between its need to project institutional stability and its ongoing failure to build a workable coalition. In the background, the threat of dissolving the National Assembly continues to loom large, an option that remains very much on the table.
For Macron, this entire episode underscores a deeper problem: he’s increasingly losing control over both the political calendar and his alliances. These hurried consultations may amount to nothing, as the fractures in Parliament run deep and few opposition parties are eager to step in and rescue a government that’s rapidly running out of road.
