The French government under Sebastien Lecornu became a government lost in translation, as its leaders spectacularly failed to read the political room. The decision to appoint a “largely unchanged” cabinet was a message that was completely misinterpreted by its senders, leading to a fatal breakdown in communication with the nation.
The message President Macron and PM Lecornu intended to send was likely one of stability, continuity, and strength. They believed that sticking with a known team would project confidence and resolve in a turbulent time. This was the meaning they intended to convey.
However, this message was completely lost in translation. The political audience—the opposition, the media, and the public—heard something entirely different. They heard a message of arrogance, of a government that was not listening, and of a refusal to adapt to the country’s changing needs. The intended signal of stability was received as a signal of stagnation.
This disconnect was the root cause of the government’s collapse. The backlash was a reaction to the message that was received, not the one that was intended. The government was brought down by a massive political misunderstanding, a failure to communicate in a language that the country could accept.
Lecornu’s resignation is the price of this failure to read the room. It’s a stark lesson for political leaders everywhere: it’s not what you say that matters, but what your audience hears. In this case, the message heard was one of illegitimacy, and the result was the end of a government.