New French PM expected to be appointed within next 48 hours: Lecornu

Paris, Oct 9 (IANS) Outgoing French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has said that President Emmanuel Macron is expected to appoint a new prime minister within the next 48 hours.

“I feel that a path forward is possible,” Lecornu told TV channel France 2 on Wednesday night (local time), adding that the current situation allows the president to proceed with the appointment.

“It’s up to him to conduct the final consultations,” Lecornu said.

Amid calls from opposition parties for Macron to call early presidential elections to end political deadlock, Lecornu said it was “not the time to change the president.” He added that Macron would address the nation “in due course.”

Lecornu also addressed several major policy issues, saying that a “path should be found” to resume debate on pension reform. He warned that suspending the reform would cost at least 3 billion euros (3.5 billion US dollars) in 2027, reports Xinhua news agency.

Speaking about the draft budget for 2026, Lecornu said it could be presented to the cabinet next Monday. He noted that the plan “will not be perfect” and would require extensive debate.

Lecornu resigned on Monday, less than a month after being appointed by Macron, and one day after unveiling part of his cabinet lineup.

He underlined in a statement the “will” among political forces to have a budget “before December 31.”

Lecornu made the remarks as President Emmanuel Macron gave him until Wednesday evening to conduct “final negotiations” on the formation of a new government.

He reiterated that “the public deficit target must be kept below 5 per cent” in the next budget, specifying a range of “between 4.7 per cent and 5 per cent on a final basis”, Xinhua News Agency reported.

He met centrist and right-wing politicians on Tuesday and will continue his consultations on Wednesday with representatives of left-wing parties.

Lecornu, appointed early last month, quit Monday, a day after unveiling a cabinet lineup that was nearly identical to its predecessor and drew sharp criticism across the political spectrum.

French President Emmanuel Macron accepted his resignation on Monday morning, hours after Lecornu revealed the first names of his government, Euro News reported.

After unveiling his cabinet, Lecornu has faced criticism from his own camp and the opposition. The conservative Republicans party has expressed outrage over the return of France’s former Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire as Defence Minister, reports cited.

On Sunday, Lecornu announced the cabinet lineup, which included Bruno Le Maire, who served as French Economy Minister from 2017 to 2024, being named as Defence Minister, while Roland Lescure was appointed as France’s Economy Minister. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot continued to keep his portfolio. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin also kept their posts, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Culture Minister Rachida Dati continued to retain his post. The French presidency revealed 18 names, which included 16 ministers and two ministers delegated.

After the unveiling of the cabinet line-up, National Rally (RN) leader Jordan Bardella criticised the appointment. In a social media post, he said that the new cabinet just “represents continuity” of the old government.

On September 9, French President Emmanuel Macron named then-Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu as the country’s PM. Lecornu (39) served as French Defence Minister for over three years and is considered a close ally of Macron.

Unlike previous delays in naming a new Prime Minister, Macron had last month quickly appointed Lecornu, signalling urgency in stabilising the political and economic situation.

Macron made the appointment a day after Bayrou and his cabinet were ousted in a parliamentary confidence vote over his proposal to reduce public spending. Later, Bayrou tendered his resignation.

–IANS

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