Emmanuel Macron’s political isolation deepens as some call for his resignation

Political turmoil has gripped France for more than a year, flowing from the National Assembly dissolution that triggered fresh elections

Then French defence minister Sebastien Lecornu, right, and France’s President Emmanuel Macron talk at the end of an address by the president to army leaders in Paris (Ludovic Marin via AP)

Embattled French President Emmanuel Macron has suffered a fresh blow with two of his former prime ministers sharply distancing themselves from him as he faced growing pressure to resign after the collapse of his latest government.

Edouard Philippe was Mr Macron’s first prime minister after he swept to power in 2017, and Gabriel Attal had previously been one of the French president’s most loyal lieutenants, appointed prime minister in January 2024, during Mr Macron’s second term.