What are the reasons for the turmoil caused by the resignation of three prime ministers in France within a year?

From December 2024 to September 2025, the French political arena witnessed an unprecedented upheaval: three prime ministers, Barnier, Artal and Bellou, successively stepped down. Among them, Barnier became the first prime minister to be impeached by the parliament since the establishment of the Fifth French Republic, while Bellou became the sixth prime minister to leave office during Macron's tenure. This political earthquake not only exposed the structural contradictions in France's governance system, but also reflected the deep-seated crises in the process of European integration.

I. Financial Crisis: The Unsustainability of the High Welfare Model

The direct trigger for the change of prime minister in France was the crisis of trust triggered by fiscal reform. The draft budget for 2026 proposed by the Belu government plans to cut fiscal expenditure by 43.8 billion euros, including measures such as freezing the increase in pensions, cancelling public holidays, and reducing the growth rate of medical insurance. These plans have touched a sensitive nerve in French society - as a global benchmark for high welfare, France's social security deficit has expanded from 15.3 billion euros in 2024 to 22.1 billion euros in 2025, with the ratio of public debt to GDP exceeding 114%, and debt interest expenses accounting for 12% of the national budget.

However, the reform plan has encountered comprehensive resistance: the left-wing party alliance "New People's Front" has organized nationwide protests, the far-right National Alliance has threatened to launch a vote of no confidence, and trade unions plan to stage a major strike on September 18. This collective opposition has exposed the rigid nature of the French welfare system - any attempt to cut welfare will trigger cross-class resistance, forming a political law that "reform means resignation". As Beru warned in his resignation speech: "We are adding 12 million euros in debt every day, but the parliament has chosen to let the country go bankrupt."

Ii. Political Polarization: The Governance Dilemma of Fragmented Parliaments

The profound changes in the political ecology of France are the fundamental cause of the unrest. After the 2024 National Assembly elections, the left (193 seats), the center (210 seats), and the far right (142 seats) formed a "tripartite confrontation", and the ruling coalition lost its stable majority. This fragmentation leads to:

1. Legislative deadlock: Any major policy needs to win the support of both the left and the far right, but the two camps hold opposing positions on core issues such as immigration and welfare. Barnier once made concessions to the National Alliance for passing the budget, and was immediately ridiculed by the left as a "puppet of the far right".

2. Abuse of a vote of confidence: The Bellou government became the first French government to actively seek a vote of confidence. This "political suicide" behavior reflects the ruling party's desperation over parliamentary games. The huge disparity of 194 votes in favor and 364 against highlights the majority's complete rejection of the government.

3. The rise of populism: Polls show that 33% of the public hope the new prime minister comes from the far right, and 64% demand Macron's resignation. This collapse of political trust has deprived traditional political parties of the space for mediation, and policy-making has fallen into a "veto politics" cycle.

Iii. Reform Dilemma: The Absence of a Culture of Compromise

The deeply rooted "either-or" mindset in French political culture has exacerbated the governance crisis. Since Macron vigorously promoted the pension reform in 2017, he has encountered multiple nationwide strikes and the reform bill has had to be revised repeatedly. Beru's experience once again proves that in France, any structural reform needs to overcome three obstacles: parliamentary games: it is necessary to simultaneously meet the social equity demands of the left, the fiscal discipline requirements of the centrists, and the immigration control claims of the far right. Social mobilization: Trade unions have extremely strong organizational capabilities. During the pension reform in 2023, they mobilized 1.1 million people to take to the streets in protest. Constitutional limitation: Although the president has the right to dissolve the parliament, Macron's refusal to hold an early general election has led to a continuous compression of his governance space.

Iv. The European Dilemma: The Spillover Effects of the French Crisis

The unrest in France is a microcosm of the governance crisis in Europe. German Chancellor Merz publicly admitted that the social security system was unsustainable, and the support rate of far-right parties in Austria, Italy and other countries exceeded 30%. This trend is shaking the foundation of European integration.

Standing at the crossroads of 2025, France is faced with a difficult choice: should it continue to maintain a high welfare model until its debt collapses, or implement painful reforms that trigger social unrest? Macron's approval rating has dropped to 15%, and in the 2027 presidential election, either far-right or left-wing populists may come to power. This crisis not only concerns the fate of France, but will also determine whether Europe can break through the governance bottleneck and find a new balance point in the countercurrent of globalization. As Beru warned: "We are standing on the edge of a cliff, and the usual political tactics will lead to an irreparable disaster."