France in Crisis: Will Macron Dissolve Parliament?

France has found itself in deep political uncertainty, and the entire country is holding its breath, awaiting President Emmanuel Macron's upcoming speech, scheduled for Wednesday evening. This announcement could be fateful for the French political landscape, containing two possible scenarios: either a fragile compromise or a radical step—the dissolution of parliament. The prestigious French newspaper Le Figaro writes about this tense situation, citing its own sources and describing the impasse in which the president finds himself.

At the heart of everything is Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's resignation offer, which became the logical continuation of the sharp criticism from the opposition that followed the announcement of the renewed government composition. Opposition forces were angered by the fact that 13 of the 18 ministerial portfolios in the new cabinet went to representatives of the previous government. In response to the resulting crisis, Macron gave Lecornu a 48-hour deadline to hold consultations with all political parties and find a way out of the crisis. The president's speech, scheduled for Wednesday evening, will take place right after this deadline expires, which has created an atmosphere of tense anticipation.

Le Figaro does not rule out that Macron may resort to the most radical step: the dissolution of the National Assembly (the lower house of parliament). This hypothesis is supported by the fact that the president held meetings on Tuesday with the Speaker of the Senate, Gérard Larcher, and the President of the National Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet. Such consultations are a mandatory procedure provided for by Article 12 of the French Constitution, which precedes a decision to dissolve the lower house. This circumstance leads many analysts to believe that the president is seriously considering the possibility of calling snap parliamentary elections in an attempt to regain his lost political footing.

At the same time, another source for the newspaper claims that the situation may not be so dramatic. According to this source, the ongoing discussions are aimed at "finding points of balance" and building a new political foundation. On Monday evening, the Elysée Palace had announced that Macron had instructed Lecornu to "determine a platform for action for the sake of the country's stability" through negotiations. In the event of a failure in the negotiations, according to the president's circle, Macron has promised to "take responsibility" for further decisions. What exactly is hidden behind this mysterious phrasing was not clarified by the Elysée Palace, leaving France in uncertainty and the French people in speculation until the president's decisive speech.