French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu faces a race against time to form a government by Monday's budget deadline, as divisions emerged within the conservative Les Republicains party over whether to accept ministerial posts in his cabinet.
Just two days after being reappointed, Lecornu must present a draft budget bill to cabinet and parliament on Monday, requiring key ministerial positions to be filled immediately during France's deepest political crisis in decades.
The LR party's governing body said on Saturday that "the trust and conditions are not in place" to join Lecornu's government, yet a majority of the party's lower house members favour taking cabinet positions to influence the budget, according to Le Monde newspaper.
PENSION REFORM A RED LINE FOR LEFT AND RIGHT
Former Prime Minister Michel Barnier, a prominent LR figure and member of the lower house, laid out strict conditions for potential participation of his party in the government, including maintaining President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reform that raised the retirement age to 64.
"Our support must remain demanding and faithful to the battles we are waging for the French," Barnier wrote on X on Saturday, listing deficit reduction, pension reform maintenance, security measures and business competitiveness as non-negotiable conditions.
Centrist party UDI said it would support the new government but ruled out taking part in it, while Horizons, a close ally of Macron’s party in parliament, said it would not join a cabinet that backed suspending the pension reform.
PM MUST COME UP WITH BUDGET PLAN TO REDUCE DEFICIT
Lecornu signalled potential flexibility on this issue on Saturday, saying "all debates are possible as long as they are realistic" when asked about suspending the pension reform.
The prime minister must navigate these contradictory demands while assembling a cabinet capable of presenting a credible budget plan to reduce France's deficit from 5.4% of GDP this year to between 4.7% and 5% next year.
"I am setting myself a fairly clear mission, and then either the political forces will help me and we will work together to achieve it, or they will not," Lecornu said on Saturday.
Lecornu has pledged a cabinet of "renewal and diversity" but has yet to announce any appointments with barely 24 hours remaining before the constitutional deadline.
Armenia is host to the 8th meeting of the European Political Community which opened in Yerevan on Monday (4 May). ...
Iran warned U.S. forces on Monday not to enter the Strait of Hormuz after President Donald Trump said the United S...
Talks between the U.S. and Iran remain in a delicate state after U.S. President Donald Trump rejected a 14-poin...
European allies are stepping up efforts to meet military commitments following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to NATO Secret...
Minval Politika has released a third set of footage it says shows former International Criminal Court prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo discussing the ...
Armenia is host to the 8th meeting of the European Political Community which opened in Yerevan on Monday (4 May). Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed European Union leaders and heads of international organisations, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has outlined Yerevan’s expanding diplomatic agenda with the European Union and France during a visit to Paris, highlighting ongoing efforts to deepen regional connectivity and advance peace-related processes in the South Caucasus.
As the Iran war disrupts global flows of oil and gas and energy prices skyrocket, the Drin River, which descends through the mountains of northern Albania, is acting as a kind of shield.
MMilitary planners from more than 30 countries are holding two-day talks in London from Wednesday to advance plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Ukraine is monitoring “unusual activity” along its border with Belarus, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in a video statement released on Saturday (2 May). He warned that Kyiv is ready to respond if necessary amid continued regional tensions linked to Russia’s war.
Hundreds of young people in South Korea have gathered in Seoul to take part in a city-backed “power nap contest”, aimed at drawing attention to the country’s chronic sleep deprivation.
Türkiye’s Vice President Cevdet Yılmaz is set to visit Armenia in early May to take part in the 8th European Political Community Summit, in what will be the highest-level Turkish visit to the country to date. Meanwhile, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is reportedly expected to miss the forum.
China has moved to block U.S. sanctions on five of its oil refineries, in a fresh escalation of tensions over trade and energy policy.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will “soon be reviewing” a new 14-point proposal sent by Iran, casting doubt on the chances of a deal after Tehran called for security guarantees, an end to naval blockades and a halt to the war across the region, including in Lebanon.
Armenia is host to the 8th meeting of the European Political Community which opened in Yerevan on Monday (4 May). Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan welcomed European Union leaders and heads of international organisations, including NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
European allies are stepping up efforts to meet military commitments following criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 4th of May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is expected to travel to the Vatican and Italy this week for a series of meetings, according to Italian media reports, in a visit that comes amid strained relations between Washington and parts of Europe and heightened tensions involving Pope Leo XIV.
Ukraine has launched a new wave of drone strikes on Sunday (3 May) across Russia, hitting key infrastructure and causing casualties in several regions, officials on both sides said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment