French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to appoint a new prime minister within the next 48 hours, his office said on Wednesday, as France grapples with one of its deepest political crises in decades.
The announcement followed the resignation of Sébastien Lecornu, France’s fifth prime minister in two years, who stepped down on Monday just hours after unveiling his cabinet. His resignation marked the shortest-lived administration in modern French history.
Despite tendering his resignation, Lecornu continued holding consultations with political leaders from across the spectrum, from the centre-left to the centre-right, at Macron’s request, in a bid to ease the country’s political paralysis.
“A majority of deputies oppose dissolution (of parliament); a platform for stability exists; a path is possible to adopt a budget by 31 December,” the Élysée Palace said in a statement quoting Lecornu’s conclusions. “On this basis, the President of the Republic will appoint a Prime Minister within the next 48 hours.”
No Deal Yet, But Hope for Stability
Lecornu’s government collapsed after opposition lawmakers—and even some of Macron’s allies—threatened to bring him down, exposing the deep divisions within France’s hung parliament. No single party holds a majority, leaving key reforms, including budgetary and fiscal measures, deadlocked.
After two days of political talks, Lecornu admitted no breakthrough had been achieved but expressed optimism. “I feel a path is still possible,” he told France 2 television. “I told the President of the Republic that I believe the situation allows for him to appoint a prime minister in the next 48 hours.”
He added that striking a deal to pass the 2026 budget would be difficult, but said the likelihood of Macron being forced into a snap parliamentary election was diminishing.
Macron, whose second term has been marred by protests, budget challenges, and political fragmentation, faces growing calls from both the far right and the far left to call fresh elections or step down.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), dismissed the ongoing consultations as a stalling tactic. “I’ll censure everything. Enough now the joke has gone on long enough,” she told reporters, insisting on snap parliamentary polls.
Similarly, hard-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon of France Unbowed renewed his call for Macron’s resignation, saying it remained the only way out of the current impasse.
Centre-Left Pushes for Power
Centre-left leaders, meanwhile, have declared their readiness to lead the next government. Socialist Party chief Olivier Faure and Greens leader Marine Tondelier said the left would seek to implement a 2% wealth tax on France’s richest 0.01% and repeal Macron’s controversial pension reforms proposals that enjoy broad public support but alienate conservatives.
Financial markets, jittery over France’s political paralysis and ballooning budget deficit, showed a slight recovery following Lecornu’s remarks. Paris’s CAC 40 index rose 1.1% on Wednesday, although it remains one of Europe’s weakest performers in 2025.
The Élysée has not disclosed who Macron is considering for the prime ministerial role, but political analysts say the choice could determine whether France achieves stability or faces renewed upheaval.
