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French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to announce a new prime minister within 48 hours, according to the Elysee Palace, thereby dispelling speculation of imminent fresh elections.
Earlier Wednesday, outgoing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu indicated the possibility of dissolving parliament was diminishing following recent discussions with political parties.
“There is a majority in parliament, and that majority is keen to avoid fresh elections,” he stated.
On Monday, Lecornu – a close Macron ally – became the third French PM to depart from the role in under a year, a consequence of a hung parliament marked by deep ideological divides.
Subsequently, Macron requested that Lecornu remain in office for two days to foster consensus among parties regarding a resolution to the ongoing political crisis.
During a highly anticipated television interview Wednesday evening, Lecornu offered no indication as to the identity of the next prime minister. While he stated his mission was “finished,” he also did not entirely rule out the possibility of his own continued tenure.
He noted that a majority of Members of Parliament (MPs) shared the sentiment against fresh elections, while also acknowledging the urgent need to pass a budget by year’s end.
However, he conceded that forging a government remained complex due to parliamentary divisions and politicians’ considerations of the upcoming presidential election.
Lecornu, formerly the armed forces minister, stated that whoever assumes the role of prime minister “will need to be completely disconnected from any presidential ambition for 2027.”
France’s political impasse originated after snap elections in July 2024. Since then, no single party has held a majority, complicating the passage of legislation and reforms, including the annual budget.
A significant challenge confronting Lecornu and his predecessors has been addressing France’s substantial national debt, which reached €3.4tn (£2.9tn) this year, representing almost 114% of economic output (GDP) and ranking as the third-highest in the Eurozone after Greece and Italy.
Former prime ministers Michel Barnier and Francois Bayrou were ousted via confidence votes following the presentation of austerity budgets.
Lecornu stated that his own draft budget would be presented next week, while remaining “open for debate.”
“But the debate needs to begin… parties cannot say they’ll vote it down without examining it,” he added.
Similarly, Lecornu stated that Macron’s highly contested pension reforms, a prominent issue in French politics since 2023, would need to be revisited. “We have to find a way for the debate to take place,” Lecornu said.
However, some parliamentary factions appear entrenched in their positions.
Mathilde Panot of the radical left France Unbowed (LFI) asserted shortly after Lecornu’s TV interview that “the resignation and departure of Emmanuel Macron” was the only viable solution.
Meanwhile, far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, a long-time proponent of fresh elections, stated on Wednesday that she would vote against any new government.
At this stage, the political forces that might support a new government remain unclear.
The established coalition of centrists and Republicans that has governed since last year appears to have disintegrated.
The key question is whether Lecornu, over the past 48 hours, has been able to persuade the Socialists – who were part of the left-wing bloc during the elections – to support a government in some capacity.
In response to calls from various political factions for Macron’s resignation, including a suggestion made by Macron’s former prime minister Edouard Philippe earlier this week, Lecornu argued that France requires a stable, internationally recognized figure at its helm.
“This is not the time to change the president,” Lecornu stated.
However, Macron appears increasingly isolated, with even close allies beginning to distance themselves.
Earlier this week, Gabriel Attal, widely regarded as Macron’s protégé, stated that he “no longer understood” Macron and called for the appointment of an independent negotiator to guide the government.
Macron has not yet publicly addressed the situation since Lecornu’s unexpected resignation on Monday morning. Lecornu promised that the president would “address the French people in due course,” without specifying a timeframe.
Sébastien Lecornu has been given until Wednesday evening to come up with a plan for the “stability of the country”.
After eight years in office, Emmanuel Macron’s position as president is coming under increasing pressure as France’s political crisis escalates.
Leaders in the UK’s tight-knit Jewish population are asking what more can be done to keep their institutions safe.
The president’s unpopularity means those who associate themselves with him risk a beating at France’s 2027 election, writes the BBC’s Hugh Schofield.
Lecornu was asked by President Macron to stay on until Wednesday in a last-ditch attempt to achieve “stability” for the country.
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