Shortly after the new French Prime Minister resigned just hours after forming his government, many parties began blaming President Emmanuel Macron, coinciding with reports describing the country’s weakened state, making it the weakest link in the European Union.

France is currently experiencing one of the most severe political crises shaking the foundations of the Fifth Republic, amid increasing chaos and a wave of criticism directly targeting President Macron and his government, especially following the resignation of Sébastien Lecornu, described by local media as a “storm” and “earthquake.”

The French Press Agency reported that “newspapers from left to right, including the center, excelled in choosing headlines on their front pages about the current political crisis in the country…” Between titles like “The Incompetents,” “Chaos,” or “The Road to the Abyss,” the headlines varied but agreed on blaming Macron as responsible for this crisis. Italian newspapers considered “France today the weakest link in the European Union.”

The French economy continues to suffer the repercussions of Macron’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly in June 2024, before matters worsened due to Sébastien Lecornu’s resignation on Monday, October 6, who justified his decision by saying: “I cannot be Prime Minister when the conditions are not met,” explaining that “the circumstances were not suitable for taking the position.”

Lecornu added: “I tried to build a path with partners and unions to overcome the deadlock crisis,” but “political parties did not make concessions on their programs and wanted to impose their conditions.”

Libération newspaper did not hesitate to name those responsible for the crisis, classifying Macron, Lecornu, and right-wing leader Bruno Retailleau as “the incompetent,” describing the crisis as a result of the president’s insistence on a “no-compromise” policy, which plunged the country into chaos, amid a narrow reaction limited to assigning Lecornu to “final negotiations” on an obscure working platform.

Le Monde considered that Macron faces crushing isolation, becoming alone in confronting the crisis, especially amid increasing calls for his removal and demands to dissolve parliament by his opponents, putting him at risk of losing control over the political scene.

European media did not hide their concern and mockery of the French situation, with the Flemish newspaper De Tijd sarcastically commenting on the new government’s lifespan, estimated at “836 minutes” only, questioning whether Macron got lost in the “maze” he created himself after dissolving the National Assembly in June 2024.

Belgian newspaper L’Echo summarized the political dilemma by saying that Lecornu’s fall, Macron’s closest ally, forces the latter either to hand over power to the left or call for new elections, with the possibility of losing his political legacy in both options, thus presenting a painful conclusion to Macron’s current career.

According to observers, the political tension in France is no longer just a government crisis but a real test for the Fifth Republic system and the future of France’s role in Europe and the world. Facing this explosive scene, all eyes remain on Macron: can he reorganize the cards, or will the crisis claim more political victims and reshape the entire French political map?

It is worth noting that after Lecornu’s resignation, Macron appeared in a video clip walking along the banks of the Seine River, engaged in a lengthy phone call, a scene that embodied his increasing political isolation. The identity of the person he was speaking to and the subject of the call remain unknown, as the president approaches the end of his second constitutional term in 2027, according to the French Press Agency.