The resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is the latest casualty in a political war between the two palaces of French executive power—the Elysee and Matignon—and the parliament. This three-way conflict has created a toxic triangle of institutional gridlock that is paralyzing the nation.
The Elysee Palace, home of the President, and the Matignon, the Prime Minister’s residence, are supposed to work in concert to lead the government. President Macron appointed his ally Lecornu to ensure this alignment. Their joint decision on the cabinet was their first major act of war.
However, they are facing a powerful and unified opponent in the parliament. The National Assembly, feeling sidelined, has asserted its own power base, effectively declaring war on any executive action it does not approve of. The rejection of the cabinet was their decisive counter-attack.
Lecornu was the general sent to the front lines of this war, and he was immediately overwhelmed by the enemy’s firepower. His retreat and resignation represent a major defeat for the Elysee-Matignon axis. It proves that, in the current landscape, the parliament’s defensive position is stronger than the executive’s offensive capabilities.
This war between the palaces and the parliament has no clear winner, but it has one clear loser: the French people. The country is left without a functioning government as its institutions fight for supremacy. Until a truce is called, the battle will continue to claim political victims and prevent any progress on the nation’s real problems.