The Head of State has seen no less than 6 heads of government succeed one another in Matignon, each time with an increasingly short lease. Emmanuel Macron could beat the record of François Mitterrand who had 7 Prime Ministers in 2 seven terms.
A list that continues to grow. Almost 10 days after the fall of Michel Barnier, Emmanuel Macron painfully appointed François Bayrou to Matignon. In 7 years at the Élysée, the Head of State has seen 6 Prime Ministers succeed one another.
The figure looks like a record. François Mitterrand certainly had 7 different Prime Ministers but in 14 years at the Élysée. As for the other tenants of the Élysée, they are all very far behind.
Sarkozy with only one Prime Minister
In 5 years, François Hollande had had 3 different heads of government. Nicolas Sarkozy had spent his entire mandate accompanied by François Fillon. In 12 years on Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Jacques Chirac has paraded 4 Prime Ministers.
Valéry Giscard d'Estaing had 2 Prime Ministers in a seven-year term, just like Georges Pompidou. Charles de Gaulle relied on 3 Prime Ministers.
Increasingly short lifespans in Matignon
Beyond the number of heads of government who have succeeded one another under Emmanuel Macron, the duration of their lease is increasingly shorter. Édouard Philippe stayed in Matignon for 3 years and a month.
His successor Jean Castex led a government for a year and 10 months. Élisabeth Borne only held office for one year and 7 months. Gabriel Attal only stayed 7 months and 27 days. As for Michel Barnier, his lease lasted only 39 days, making him the most short-lived Prime Minister of the 5th Republic.
Will François Bayrou beat this record? The Modem boss arrives in a very high-risk political context. If the vote for the special budget law should be passed without a hitch next week in Parliament, the centrist will then have to manage to land on a budget for the year 2025.
If he fails to convince widely, he should activate 49.3, effectively triggering a new motion of censure. The president of the deputies RN Marine Le Pen has already said she is ready, as has La France insoumise.
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