(MENAFN) Former French Prime Minister Édouard Philippe has called on President Emmanuel Macron to consider holding early presidential elections to end France’s escalating political turmoil, saying only a renewed mandate could restore stability.

Philippe, who served as Macron’s first prime minister from 2017 to 2020, urged the president to first appoint a caretaker government to pass a budget before dissolving his administration and calling new elections.

“I am not in favour of his immediate and abrupt resignation,” Philippe told reporters, “but it is up to the president to live up to his mandate and find a democratic way out of this crisis.”

His remarks came a day after Macron’s latest prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, resigned — just 26 days after taking office — following the collapse of his fledgling government. Lecornu’s exit marks the third resignation of a French prime minister in less than a year, deepening the country’s sense of instability.

Macron has asked Lecornu to produce a “stability plan” by Wednesday evening, but confidence in the president’s leadership — even among allies — appears to be eroding.

Former Prime Minister Gabriel Attal, who led Macron’s Renaissance party and briefly served as premier in 2024, publicly questioned the president’s decision-making, saying on national television:
“I no longer understand the decisions made by the president of the republic. He has tried three times to re-establish control, and each time it has failed. I think we should try something else.”

Until recently, calls for Macron’s departure came mainly from opposition parties on the far left and far right. The fact that senior figures from his centrist coalition are now urging a reset underscores the depth of France’s political crisis.

On Monday, Macron was seen walking alone along the River Seine, flanked by bodyguards — an image widely shared on social media that many viewed as symbolic of his growing isolation.

Sources close to the Élysée Palace said Macron would “take responsibility” if Lecornu’s efforts to form a stable coalition fail, though it remains unclear whether that means he would resign, dissolve parliament, or call a snap presidential vote.

Macron’s troubles began after his centrist alliance lost its parliamentary majority in snap legislative elections last year, which he called following a bruising defeat in the European Parliament elections. The result left France with a hung National Assembly, paralysing policymaking and sparking public frustration over the government’s inability to address economic and social challenges.

If Macron were to call an early presidential election, it would be unprecedented in modern French history, and polls suggest it could pave the way for a resurgent far right led by Marine Le Pen — a prospect that deeply divides France’s political class.

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