French President Macron re-appoints outgoing PM Lecornu in a shock move

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French President Emmanuel Macron has re-appointed outgoing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, in a shocking move that brought an end to days of speculation and intense negotiations aimed at resolving the country’s deepening political stalemate. 

The announcement on Friday evening followed final consultations with representatives from France’s main political parties.

The head of state gathered party leaders at the Élysée Palace earlier in the day, with the exception of those from the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) and the far-right National Rally (RN).

The meeting, the Élysée said earlier in the day, “must be a moment of collective responsibility.”

The appointment marks a crucial moment in Macron’s presidency, which runs until 2027.

With no majority in the National Assembly and growing criticism from both the opposition and within his own ranks, Macron has little room to manoeuvre politically.

The crisis escalated earlier this week when Sébastien Lecornu abruptly resigned on Monday, just hours after announcing his new cabinet.

His shock departure led to renewed calls from opposition figures for Macron to resign or call for snap elections yet again.

The turmoil traces back to Macron’s surprise decision in June 2024 to dissolve the National Assembly. The ensuing snap elections resulted in a hung parliament, leaving no political bloc with a majority. 

The new Prime Minister now faces the daunting task of navigating that same fractured landscape and passing next year’s highly contentious budget plan. 

The 2026 budget is an urgent matter for France as the deadline to submit it is on 13 October.