The Latest Breaking News from Emmanuel Macron

Sébastien Lecornu says majority of MPs willing to seek agreement on budget and avoid further instability

France’s outgoing Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, on Wednesday made a last-ditch bid to unite rival parties and pull his collapsed government out of political deadlock – hoping to agree on a budget and head off the threat of a snap election.

IN FULL

President Emmanuel Macron was on Tuesday under pressure even from allies to find a rapid solution to France's political deadlock, after his first prime minister and one-time ally urged him to resign for the sake of the country.

Political journalists from RFI's French service examine where influential figures from across the political spectrum stand, ahead of the 8 October deadline given to outgoing prime minister Sébastien Lecornu to salvage his administration, following his shock resignation on Monday after less than a month in office.

The French president faces another political crisis as his closest allies seek to distance themselves

France has been experiencing an unprecedented political crisis since President Emmanuel Macron dissolved parliament in June 2024. For political scientist Rémi Lefebvre, this deadlock is not only institutional: it reveals a crisis of representative governance fuelled by mistrust, social fragmentation and the erosion of majority rule.

Édouard Philippe says Macron should announce an early presidential election once France passes a budget for next year.

France’s political crisis is fuelling economic and market uncertainty, with risks to growth and compliance with EU borrowing rules. Bond spreads have widened, reforms are stalled, and analysts warn the ECB may need to act if the situation continues to deteriorate.