French President Emmanuel Macron has tasked his caretaker Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu with holding last-minute negotiations within 48 hours to mend the fractured coalition.
The Élysée Palace stated that Lecornu, whose resignation was accepted earlier on Monday by Macron, must present a “platform of action and stability” for the country by Wednesday evening.
Lecornu, who remains in charge of ongoing matters, confirmed this on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “I will tell the head of state on Wednesday evening if this is achievable, so he can draw his conclusions.”
Sources close to Macron hinted that the president “will take responsibility” if the talks fail again, potentially signalling a move to dissolve parliament.
Lecornu was scheduled to deliver his general policy address to the National Assembly on Tuesday. On Sunday, he had unveiled his cabinet, but his government became the shortest-serving in the Fifth Republic, lasting just 14 hours before he resigned on Monday.
After stepping down, Lecornu returned to the Élysée in the afternoon for discussions with Macron. He is already the fifth prime minister appointed since Macron’s second term began in 2022 and the third to hold the position since June 2024.
France has been in a political crisis since Macron dissolved parliament in June last year following disappointing European election results. The outcome created a deeply divided legislature, split between left-wing and far-right blocs, with no group securing an absolute majority.
In contrast to some neighbouring countries, France lacks a tradition of coalition governments. Since the dissolution, the nation has been governed by unstable minority administrations.
