Macron Threatens Parliament Dissolution Amid No-Confidence Vote
French President Emmanuel Macron issued an ultimatum on October 14, warning he would dissolve parliament and call snap elections if his government faces a successful no-confidence vote this week. The threat comes as France experiences its most severe political crisis in decades, with polls showing 70% of citizens supporting his resignation.
Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon confirmed that Macron views the no-confidence motions against Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu as “motions for dissolution and should be treated as such”. Speaking at a cabinet meeting, Macron warned that any vote of no confidence would trigger parliamentary dissolution, effectively ending the current legislature.
Opposition Unites Against Government
The far-right National Rally and far-left France Unbowed have submitted separate no-confidence motions against Lecornu’s government, which will be voted on Thursday. Marine Le Pen of the National Rally called Macron’s reappointment of Lecornu “a democratic disgrace” and demanded the president either resign or call early elections.
Opposition calls for Macron’s resignation have intensified across the political spectrum, with even former allies distancing themselves. Former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, who served from 2017 to 2020, publicly urged Macron to “plan his resignation” and call early presidential elections. Gabriel Attal, Macron’s former prime minister who served until September 2024, declared he “no longer understands the decisions of the President of the Republic”.
Political Revolving Door
Lecornu’s tenure has been marked by extraordinary instability. He initially resigned on October 6 after just 27 days in office—making his first term the shortest in modern French history—only to be reappointed by Macron days later. Lecornu became the fifth prime minister since 2022 and the third since Macron called snap elections in June 2024.
The unprecedented political turmoil has drawn international attention and investor concern. French stocks dropped 1.4% on Monday, and the risk premium on French government bond yields surged to a nine-month peak amid the crisis.
Concessions on Pension Reform
In a desperate bid to survive the no-confidence vote, Lecornu announced a major policy reversal during his parliamentary address on October 14, promising to suspend Macron’s flagship pension reform until after the 2027 presidential election. The reform, which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64, was implemented in 2023 despite mass protests and had been a key demand for the Socialist Party to avoid supporting the no-confidence motion.
“This autumn, I will suggest to parliament that we halt the 2023 pension reform until the presidential election,” Lecornu announced, receiving applause from leftist lawmakers.
The Socialist Party has indicated that suspending the pension reform is essential for their support. “If he does not explicitly state the immediate and complete suspension of the pension reform, it will lead to censure,” warned Socialist MP Laurent Baumel.
Fiscal Crisis Looms
France faces mounting fiscal pressure with a budget deficit of 5.8% of GDP and public debt reaching 114% of GDP. The country’s independent fiscal watchdog warned that the 2026 budget plans rely on “overly optimistic economic projections” and cautioned that austerity measures may never materialize if the government collapses.
Macron has cycled through five prime ministers in less than two years, each failing to pass deficit-reduction budgets through the fractured legislature. Lecornu warned during his speech that suspending the pension reform could cost approximately 400 million euros ($464 million) in 2026 and 1.8 billion euros ($2.1 billion) the following year, which would need to be balanced by savings.
With his approval rating having collapsed to a historic low of 14% and facing unprecedented pressure from across the political spectrum, Macron’s presidency appears to be reaching a critical juncture. Many describe the situation as France’s worst constitutional crisis since the establishment of the Fifth Republic in 1958.
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