After eight years in office, Emmanuel Macron's position as president is coming under increasing pressure as France's political crisis escalates.

Macron once called himself maître des horloges - master of the clocks - but his command of timing is not what it was. For the third time in a year his choice of prime minister has resigned, and opinion polls suggest almost three-quarters of voters think the president should step down too.

Macron has repeatedly said he will not leave office early, and France is now waiting to find out if a new government can be formed, or if he has to dissolve parliament.

How did we get here?

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced his resignation at the start of a day of political drama on Monday, after only 26 days in the job.

Hours later he said he had accepted Macron's request to stay on for another 48 hours - until the end of Wednesday - to hold last-ditch talks with political parties for the stability of the country.

The unexpected twists were the latest in a long series of upheavals that began with Emmanuel Macron's decision to call a snap parliamentary election in June 2024. The result was a hung parliament in which Macron's centrist partners lost their majority and had to seek alliances with other parties.

It's all about France's debt

The big challenge facing Lecornu and his two predecessors has been how to tackle France's crippling national debt and get over the ideological divisions between the centre-ground parties who could be part of a government.

Early this year public debt stood at €3.4tn (£2.9tn), or almost 114% of economic output (GDP), the third highest in the eurozone after Greece and Italy. France's budget deficit this year is projected to hit 5.4% of GDP.

What happens now?

Lecornu has been deep in discussions with party representatives and has until Wednesday evening to present a platform of action and stability to Macron.

  • If Lecornu manages to persuade the centre-ground parties to form some kind of government, then Macron will be able to name a new prime minister, whoever that is.
  • If Lecornu fails, the Elysee has indicated that Macron would take responsibility, which would probably mean fresh parliamentary elections.
  • Macron's presidency ends in 18 months but he is facing increasing calls to step down.
  • Even without a government agreement, the parties could put aside their differences in parliament and come to a compromise on a limited budget.

Who are the key figures in this crisis?

The leaders who have been calling on Macron to resign for months are on the hard right and radical left.

Marine Le Pen and her young lieutenant in the far-right National Rally, Jordan Bardella, are ready for elections and have refused Lecornu's invitation to talk.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon of the radical left France Unbowed (LFI) has been agitating for Macron's impeachment, although that seems unlikely.

Has Macron run out of road?

After his third prime minister in the past year announced his resignation on Monday, Macron went for a long walk along the River Seine, his mobile phone to his ear. A stunt for the cameras? Perhaps, but it was symbolic of the solitary nature of his position, as he confronts some of the hardest choices of his presidency.