French President Emmanuel Macron faced mounting pressure to resign Tuesday as two former prime ministers publicly distanced themselves from him amid the collapse of his latest government.
The crisis escalated following the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu on Monday, just 14 hours after key ministers were named.
This marked the third government to fall in a year, triggered by ongoing political instability after Macron dissolved the National Assembly in June 2024.
The move led to elections that resulted in a hung parliament, where opponents have repeatedly blocked efforts to pass a budget and implement spending cuts.
Édouard Philippe, Macron's first prime minister from 2017 to 2020, urged the president to announce early presidential elections after France passes next year's budget.
Philippe, who founded the Horizons party in 2021 and plans to run in the next election, suggested Macron should take an initiative to avoid prolonging the chaos.
Gabriel Attal, another former prime minister and current head of Macron's party, expressed confusion over the president's decisions, accusing him of clinging to power despite losses in the snap elections.
A centrist politician noted that Philippe faced internal party pressure to separate from Macron.
Polling indicated Philippe could reach the runoff against a far-right candidate.
An Elabe survey showed 51 percent of respondents believe Macron's resignation would ease the situation.
Macron accepted Lecornu's resignation but tasked him with continued negotiations until Wednesday to seek a governing agreement.
The Socle Commun coalition, comprising conservatives and centrists, withdrew support after Lecornu named a new Cabinet, led by conservative Bruno Retailleau's opposition.
Left-wing parties, including the New Popular Front, advocated for cohabitation with a prime minister from outside Macron's camp.
Green leader Marine Tondelier emphasized taking responsibility to change French lives.
The far-right National Rally, led by Jordan Bardella, demanded dissolution of the Assembly for new elections, citing the country's suffering.
Macron's approval ratings hit record lows as rivals proposed resignation, new elections, or cohabitation.
Public sentiment reflected disillusionment with the Fifth Republic's stability.