France’s political fabric is continuing its great unraveling, with the latest tear being the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. His government’s collapse is not just another political event, but a sign that the very threads holding the republic’s governance together are snapping.
For years, the fabric of French politics has been under strain from economic pressure, social division, and political fragmentation. The loss of a presidential majority in parliament was a major rip. The constant battles over the budget have frayed the edges.
Lecornu’s resignation represents a new and alarming tear right down the center. The inability to even form a government that can last more than a day suggests a fundamental breakdown in the political weaving process. The basic consensus required to create a government no longer seems to exist.
This unraveling is visible in the words of political leaders. When the head of a major party like the Socialists says the president’s camp is “imploding,” it is a description of this tearing fabric. It speaks to a system that is losing its internal coherence and strength.
The danger is that this unraveling will become irreversible. If the political fabric tears completely, the country will be left with a collection of warring factions rather than a functioning state. Lecornu’s fall is a warning that the material is weaker than ever, and there are few signs of anyone capable of stitching it back together.