France’s newly reappointed Prime Minister admitted few
wanted his role and hinted his tenure may be short amid deep national political
divisions.
After a week of political turmoil, President Emmanuel Macron renamed him Sebastien Lecornu late Friday. He urged political parties to work together and maintain composure in order to create a budget for the EU's second-largest economy before impending deadlines.
His selection is thought to be Macron's final opportunity to revitalize his second term, which ends in 2027. He is being criticized more and more even within his centrist camp, which does not have a majority in the National Assembly.
However, Macron's choice to rename Lecornu, France's fourth prime minister in less than a year, was criticized by opponents on both the extreme right and the far left. The political turmoil is exacerbating France's economic problems and escalating its debt, which is causing concern throughout the European Union.
“I don’t think there were a lot of candidates,″
Lecornu told reporters Saturday during a visit to a police station in the Paris suburb of L’Hay-les-Roses.
Lecornu, who resigned Monday after just a month on the job, said he agreed to come back because of the urgent need to find financial solutions for France. But he said he would only stay as long as ″conditions are met,″ and seemed to acknowledge the risk that he could be brought down in a no-confidence vote by the fractured parliament.
″Either political forces help me and we accompany each other ... or they won’t,″
he said.
He has stated that it would not include any candidates running for president in 2027, but he would not specify when he expected to create a new administration or who may be in it. He ignored calls from the opposition to repeal a controversial bill that raised the retirement age.
Macron's minority governments have fallen in quick succession over the past year, putting France in a state of political limbo as it deals with a rising poverty rate, a debt problem that has alarmed markets and EU allies.
What concessions did Macron demand for Lecornu's reappointment?
Macron empowered Lecornu with "total confidence"
and leeway to build a new government and engage with parliament, demonstrating
trust in his ability to navigate the fractured politics.
Lecornu was to produce the budget request for 2026 addressing fiscal issues without controversial means such as wealth tax re-introduction or rolling back pension reform.
Macron stressed stability in government and called for parties to put personal ambitions aside and support efforts to end the political instability which has frustrated citizens and damaged the French reputation.