The Opposition’s Veto Power on Full Display in Paris

The opposition’s de facto veto power over President Emmanuel Macron’s government was on full display in Paris, leading to the resignation of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu. The event powerfully demonstrated that without the opposition’s consent, no government can hope to survive in the current parliament.
While the French constitution gives the President the power to appoint the Prime Minister, the political reality of a hung parliament has granted the opposition a powerful veto. They exercised this power with ruthless efficiency in the case of Lecornu’s government.
The veto was cast the moment the cabinet list was published. Through coordinated public statements and a unified message, opposition leaders effectively blocked the government’s formation. Their collective declaration that the administration was “illegitimate” was a political veto from which there was no appeal.
This power is not formal or constitutional, but it is real. It is rooted in the opposition’s ability to create a political environment so hostile that a new government cannot function. They can’t stop the President from appointing a Prime Minister, but they have shown they can make that Prime Minister’s job impossible from the first hour.
Lecornu’s resignation was a formal acknowledgement of this veto power. He stepped down because he knew that the opposition had successfully blocked his path to governance. This episode will have a chilling effect on any future appointments, as it has clearly established the opposition as a gatekeeper that Macron can no longer ignore.