French President Emmanuel Macron will appoint a new prime minister within 48 hours, his office said Wednesday, following the resignation of Sebastien Lecornu amid political deadlock.
Sebastien Lecornu, France’s fifth prime minister in two years, resigned Monday just hours after forming his cabinet, marking the shortest-lived administration in modern French history.
Macron asked Lecornu to continue consultations with political leaders to explore ways to stabilise the government and pass a 2026 budget by 31 December.
“A majority of deputies oppose dissolution of parliament; a platform for stability exists; a path is possible to adopt a budget by December 31,” the Elysee said, noting that Macron will appoint a new premier based on these findings.
Lecornu ended talks without a deal but said a path forward exists, emphasising that the next prime minister’s appointment would be Macron’s decision. He called reaching a budget deal “difficult but possible,” while the risk of a snap parliamentary election appears to be receding.
Macron faces pressure from across the political spectrum. Far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen and lawmaker Laure Lavalette rejected negotiations, calling for snap elections.
Hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon reiterated that Macron should resign.
Meanwhile, centre-left parties, including the Socialists and Greens, expressed interest in leading the next government and pushing for wealth taxes and reversing pension reforms.
The political paralysis has rattled markets, though French shares rose slightly after Lecornu expressed cautious optimism, with the CAC 40 index up 1.1% on Wednesday.
France’s budget and political uncertainty continue to weigh on investor confidence in the eurozone’s second-largest economy.
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