France’s outgoing Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has said that President Emmanuel Macron is likely to name a new prime minister within the next two days, hinting at a breakthrough after weeks of political deadlock.
Speaking to France 2 television on Wednesday, Lecornu said he had made headway in negotiations with France’s parliamentary groups and believed there was now room for compromise.
“There are possibilities for a compromise in parliament,” he said. “There is an absolute majority in the National Assembly that rejects a new dissolution.”
MACRON EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE NEW PREMIER SOON
Lecornu formally resigned as prime minister on Monday but was asked by Macron to continue negotiations with political parties to build consensus for a new government. The president has been under pressure to restore stability after months of deadlock.
Macron’s options were limited: he could call a new election, appoint a new premier, or resign himself, which he has repeatedly ruled out. Lecornu’s remarks hint that Macron may have found a way forward without triggering a snap vote.
“I told the president that the prospect of a dissolution is getting further away,” Lecornu said. “I think that the situation allows the president to name a prime minister in the next 48 hours.”
This comes as France struggles with deep divisions in its National Assembly, which has been split between three rival blocs — the centrist alliance backing Macron, the far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen, and the left-wing coalition New Popular Front.
SIGNS OF STABILITY AFTER POLITICAL TURMOIL
France has been in turmoil, with three prime ministers forced out of office since December amid repeated clashes over economic reforms and pension policies.
Even so, forming a new government will be challenging. No party commands a clear majority, and each bloc is positioning itself ahead of the 2027 presidential election, expected to be one of the most contentious in recent history.
Marine Le Pen, a leading contender for the presidency, warned she would move to oust any new government Macron appoints to force fresh parliamentary elections.
“Every government that fails to address the concerns of the French people deserves to fall,” Le Pen said earlier this week.
In a further sign of progress, former Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne, who resigned earlier this year, said she was open to suspending the controversial 2023 pension reform law that raised the minimum retirement age.
Borne, whose policy triggered mass protests and months of strikes, said revisiting the legislation could help calm tensions and pave the way for a stable coalition.
The decision on who will replace Lecornu is now in Macron’s hands. However, no frontrunner has been officially named. French media reports claims that Macron may look for a centrist figure acceptable to multiple factions in parliament to break the deadlock.
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With inputs form agencies