Macron to Appoint New French PM Within 48 Hours

French President Emmanuel Macron will appoint a new prime minister within 48 hours. The Elysée Palace announced this on October 8, refuting speculation about the possibility of holding new elections.

Earlier, on October 8, France's acting Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu had stated that the probability of dissolving parliament had decreased as a result of negotiations held with various political parties. According to him, the discussions showed that there is a general willingness to adopt the budget bill by the end of the year. "This willingness creates a solidarity that, obviously, pushes the possibility of dissolving parliament further away," Lecornu said during his speech in the courtyard of the Matignon Palace in Paris.

This announcement comes against the backdrop of a deep political crisis for France, which began after President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections last year in the hope of strengthening his position in parliament. However, the election result was a more fragmented legislature, which plunged the country into political chaos.

Lecornu, who is France's fifth prime minister in the last two years, had announced his and his government's resignation on October 6, but President Macron had asked him to continue in office in order to find ways to resolve the crisis.

The acting prime minister noted that discussions with political forces also showed that there is a general agreement to keep next year's budget deficit below 5% of GDP, which is important for France's credit rating.

Lecornu, who planned to discuss the results of the negotiations with President Emmanuel Macron, expressed hope that it would be possible to find solutions and offer a constructive path forward to the president.