French President Emmanuel Macron is urgently searching for a new prime minister following the resignation of outgoing premier Sebastien Lecornu. This development has deepened the country’s political turmoil. The presidency announced late on Wednesday that Macron would appoint a new prime minister within the next 48 hours, with the latest deadline being Friday evening.
An official declaration is not expected on Thursday, as foreign ministers are in Paris discussing plans to assist Palestinians post the Gaza conflict. Macron is also scheduled to participate in an evening ceremony honoring a late justice minister who abolished capital punishment. The likelihood of an announcement regarding the new prime minister is higher on Friday, and there may even be a revelation of the cabinet lineup, according to a source close to the president.
In an interview on French television on Wednesday evening, Lecornu expressed his anticipation of the appointment of a new prime minister to resolve the crisis, rather than opting for early legislative elections or Macron’s resignation. Unless Lecornu is reinstated, the new prime minister will be the eighth during Macron’s presidency.
Lecornu resigned on Monday after a brief tenure of less than a month. Macron granted him until Wednesday evening to address the months-long deadlock over an austerity budget. Lecornu’s two immediate predecessors were removed by the legislative chamber amid disagreements over the spending plan.
The presidency stated that Macron would announce a prime minister within 48 hours and highlighted a potential pathway to reach a budget agreement by the year’s end. The intensification of the crisis represents the most significant political challenge for Macron since assuming office in 2017, with key allies distancing themselves from the president, who now appears increasingly isolated.
Former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe suggested that Macron should resign and call for immediate presidential elections.