This time, the President of the Republic hasn't even waited 24 hours to appoint a new prime minister. The day after the vote of no confidence that brought down François Bayrou's government and just hours after submitting his resignation, Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday appointed Sébastien Lecornu, 39, until now Minister of Defense, as his new head of government. He is from the president's party and one of his closest circle. Macron regains direct control of the government.

Emmanuel Macron was sworn in as President of the Fifth Republic on May 14, 2017. The ceremony left a disturbing image. Macron walked alone through the halls of the Louvre—with a camera in front of him—until he entered the oath-taking room. I was tempted to time it, and it lasted four and a half minutes, at the pace of the superman who was about to marry the Queen. magnitude of the homeland. Who would have thought it now? Eight years later, the man who was supposed to be the beacon of 21st-century France is experiencing the disarray of a country crumbling, and witnessing the dismissal of a prime minister he appointed who barely lasted nine months. Macron, even before turning fifty, has all the makings of being nothing more than a former president of the Republic.

Emmanuel Macron was supposed to regenerate and transform the French political landscape, but instead he has been unable to prevent the deepening degradation of the system, nor the pessimism and malaise that have fueled and enlarged the longest-standing far right in the European Union. With the fall of Prime Minister François Bayrou, France's existential crisis is even more uncertain today, and President Macron's authority is even weaker. This is the second government to fall in less than a year and the fifth prime minister Macron has appointed in just two years, and he must leave through the back door.

Another government falls in the heart of Europe. France is left without a government. Another prime minister in the pillory. François Bayrou lasted nine months, not much. His immediate predecessors were also brief: five prime ministers in five years. Barnier and Attal, both former prime ministers, lasted three and eight months respectively; both combined did not reach a year. The country hasn't found the formula, and each new political shock brings the danger of a future victory for Le Pen's far-right a little closer. France's crisis of political governance and economic weakness are paradigmatic of the directionlessness of a Europe that sees Trump scorn it and Putin besieging it in Ukraine. magnitude France is in a slump, and Europe is suffering.

There was no miracle. The French National Assembly voted overwhelmingly against the vote of confidence that Prime Minister François Bayrou had voluntarily submitted, seeking to secure a commitment from the parties to approve the 2026 budget. The gamble was very risky and, as expected, backfired. Only a simple majority was needed to oust Bayrou, but the result of the vote was overwhelming: 364 deputies voted against and only 194 in favor.

Has the weakness of the economy led France to a political crisis? Or is it the other way around, and the political crisis has weakened the economy? Be that as it may, the second-largest economy in the European Union and the seventh-largest in the world is not going through its best of times, and storm clouds are brewing. Very weak growth in gross domestic product (GDP), rising debt, and a widening deficit are indicators of a weakening economy, as shown by the evolution of the risk premium in recent months.

"Who will be able to govern an ungovernable country tomorrow?" asked the newspaper's editorialist. The Depêche, Jean-Claude Souléry, just days after French Prime Minister François Bayrou unexpectedly announced, at the end of August, that he would submit to a vote of confidence in the National Assembly on September 8. Barring a major upset—highly unlikely—France will be left without a government or prime minister this Monday once again.

François Bayrou's government's days are numbered. If the French Prime Minister still held out any hope of being able to overcome the vote of no confidence that will be submitted to the National Assembly next Monday, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen made it clear this Tuesday that she will let the government fall. "There has been no miracle," said Jordan Bardella, president of the National Rally and Le Pen's right-hand man, after meeting with the Prime Minister alongside Le Pen.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced on Monday that he will submit to a vote of confidence on September 8th.cuts of 44 billion eurosin the 2026 budget, a referendum that will fall just before the first major protest called for the 10th. Following the news, the French stock market opened Tuesday trading lower. The CAC40, the main French index, rose with losses of over 2.5%, which eased throughout the morning. At midday, the index was down 1.72%, closing the session at -1.59%.

The day after Marine Le Pen was sentenced to five years of immediate disqualification For embezzlement of public funds, French Prime Minister François Bayrou expressed his openness to reviewing the law that allowed the far-right leader to be disqualified. "In law, any criminal decision with serious consequences must be subject to appeal," Bayrou stated this Tuesday in the National Assembly. The prime minister asserted that the law raises "questions" and opened the door to "reflection."

The day after Marine Le Pen was sentenced to five years of immediate disqualification For embezzlement of public funds, Le Pen's far-right party called for a "peaceful" mobilization. The party has called for a large street rally in Paris this Sunday, open to the public. "We are showing that the will of the people is stronger with a peaceful and popular mobilization," urged Jordan Bardella, Le Pen's right-hand woman and a likely presidential candidate if the leader remains disqualified following appeals against the ruling.