France Faces Political Crisis As Macron To Appoint New Prime Minister Within 48 Hours

French President Emmanuel Macron will appoint a new prime minister within the next 48 hours, his office said on Wednesday, as France struggles to contain its most severe political crisis in decades and a majority of lawmakers reject calls for snap parliamentary elections.

According to Reuters, the announcement followed the resignation of Sébastien Lecornu, France’s fifth prime minister in two years, who stepped down on Monday along with his cabinet—just hours after unveiling the government line-up. His administration became the shortest-lived in modern French history.

At Macron’s request, Lecornu has since held consultations with political leaders across the centre-left and centre-right in an effort to defuse the political impasse. “A majority of deputies oppose dissolution (of parliament); a platform for stability exists; a path is possible to adopt a budget by December 31,” the Élysée Palace said, citing Lecornu’s conclusions. “On this basis, the President of the Republic will appoint a Prime Minister within the next 48 hours.”

Lecornu’s resignation came after both opposition parties and some of Macron’s allies threatened to bring down his government, underlining the instability in a fragmented National Assembly where no party commands a majority. Despite two days of talks, Lecornu ended discussions without a formal agreement but said he saw a path forward for Macron to name a new premier soon.

“I feel a path is still possible,” Lecornu told France 2 television, describing efforts to secure support for a 2026 budget that could restore confidence in the eurozone’s second-largest economy. “I told the President of the Republic ... that I believe the situation allows for him to appoint a prime minister in the next 48 hours.”

Reuters reported that Lecornu, now serving as caretaker prime minister, warned that any deal would be difficult but believed the prospect of Macron calling a snap parliamentary election was diminishing. The Élysée has not disclosed who could be tapped for the post.

Macron, meanwhile, has faced growing calls to resign or dissolve parliament, particularly from far-right and hard-left leaders. Marine Le Pen, head of the National Rally (RN), refused to participate in Lecornu’s latest round of talks, accusing Macron of trying to “buy time.” “I’ll censure everything. Enough now — the joke has gone on long enough,” Le Pen told reporters, renewing her demand for immediate elections.

Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the hard-left France Unbowed party, echoed that sentiment, insisting that Macron’s resignation remained the only viable way out of the crisis.

From the centre-left, Socialist Party chief Olivier Faure and Greens leader Marine Tondelier said after meeting Lecornu that the left wanted to form the next government. Their proposed platform includes a 2% wealth tax on the richest 0.01% of French citizens and a reversal of Macron’s controversial pension reforms—policies with strong public backing but opposed by conservatives.

According to Reuters, financial markets have been unsettled by the political paralysis and by concerns over France’s widening budget deficit. However, French assets saw some improvement on Wednesday after Lecornu expressed cautious optimism earlier in the day. The CAC 40 index rose 1.1%, though it remains one of Europe’s laggards in 2025.

With no clear majority in parliament and parties divided over economic and social policy, Macron faces an uphill task in forming a stable government capable of passing a 2026 budget by year-end.

(With inputs from Reuters)