French President Emmanuel Macron is set to name a new prime minister within the next two days, according to the Elysee Palace. The announcement comes amid growing speculation about
whether France might head toward fresh elections — a possibility that now appears to be fading.
Outgoing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said earlier on Wednesday that, after two days of talks with political parties, it was clear that most lawmakers wanted to avoid another trip to the polls. “There is a majority in parliament that prefers to steer clear of fresh elections,” Lecornu said.
Lecornu — a close ally of Macron — became the third French prime minister in less than a year to step down on Monday. His departure highlights the ongoing struggles of a deeply divided parliament, where no single party has a clear majority.
At Macron’s request, Lecornu agreed to stay on temporarily to help build consensus and explore possible paths out of the current political stalemate.
During a much-anticipated TV interview Wednesday evening, Lecornu didn’t reveal who might succeed him, though he also didn’t rule himself out completely. He said that, aside from opposing new elections, most lawmakers recognized the urgent need to pass a national budget before year’s end. Still, he admitted that forming a stable government remains “complicated,” given the divisions in parliament and the maneuvering ahead of the 2027 presidential race.
“Whoever forms the next government must be completely detached from any presidential ambitions for 2027,” Lecornu said.
France’s current deadlock began after snap elections in July 2024, which left no party with an outright majority. Since then, passing key legislation — including the budget — has been nearly impossible.
The country’s ballooning debt remains one of the toughest challenges. France’s national debt has reached €3.4 trillion ($3.6 trillion), about 114% of its GDP — the third highest in the eurozone after Greece and Italy. Lecornu’s two predecessors, Michel Barnier and François Bayrou, both lost confidence votes after proposing austerity budgets.
Lecornu said his own draft budget would be unveiled next week and would be “open for debate.” However, he urged parties not to reject it outright before reviewing it.
He also acknowledged that one of France’s most divisive topics — Macron’s controversial pension reforms — would need to be revisited. “We have to find a way for that debate to happen,” he said.
Despite his call for cooperation, opposition parties remain entrenched.
Mathilde Panot of the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) said shortly after Lecornu’s interview that the only way forward was “the resignation and departure of Emmanuel Macron.”
On the other side of the spectrum, Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, reiterated her demand for new elections and vowed to vote against any new government.
At this point, it’s unclear which political groups could support Macron’s next government. The centrist-Republican alliance that’s been holding the reins since last year appears to be falling apart. The big question now is whether Lecornu managed to win over the Socialists — who were part of the left-wing bloc in the last elections — to help form a working majority.
Asked about growing calls for Macron to step down, including from former Prime Minister Édouard Philippe, Lecornu defended the president. “This is not the time to change the president,” he said, arguing that France needs stability and international credibility.
Even so, Macron’s circle seems to be shrinking. Gabriel Attal — once seen as his protégé — said earlier this week that he “no longer understood” the president and called for an independent mediator to guide the government.
Macron himself has remained silent since Lecornu’s surprise resignation on Monday morning. According to Lecornu, the president will “address the French people in due course,” though no date has been set. Photo by Jacques Paquier, Wikimedia commons.