PARIS, October 10. /TASS/. French President Emmanuel Macron is weighing the option of dissolving parliament again if he fails to reach a compromise with political forces on the appointment of a new prime minister, Le Parisien newspaper reported.
According to the outlet, Macron’s main scenario until recently involved bringing back his longtime ally Sebastien Lecornu to help form a new cabinet, despite Lecornu’s public statement that his "mission is over" and that he does not intend to seek the premiership again after his resignation. Macron invited him to dinner on Thursday evening and later discussed the possibility of a Lecornu-led government with his inner circle until late at night.
However, the newspaper noted that on Friday, the Elysee Palace was caught off guard by remarks from politicians within the presidential camp who supported "sharing authority" with the opposition and "not creating the impression of clinging to power," as it was with Secretary General of the presidential Renaissance group Gabriel Attal. For instance, Minister of Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Sea and Fisheries Agnes Pannier-Runacher stated that the French public "expects changes" and opposes Lecornu’s reappointment.
"The president is extremely irritated. This afternoon, he plans to hold everyone accountable. If everything collapses and no candidate is agreed upon, then it won’t be the fault of the Socialist Party but of the entire platform," a source close to Macron told the newspaper. "If this fails, he’ll dissolve parliament, as he has no Plan B," the source added.
On Friday, the leaders of all parliamentary parties, except the left-wing La France Insoumise and the far-right National Rally, are expected at the Elysee Palace at the president’s invitation to discuss the formation of the next government and the 2026 budget. Meanwhile, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, who was not invited, has for several days been urging a parliamentary dissolution, while La France Insoumise head Jean-Luc Melenchon insists that a snap presidential election is needed to resolve the crisis.
Lecornu submitted his resignation to Macron amid criticism from the opposition following the announcement of the new government lineup, in which members of the previous cabinet got 13 out of the 18 mandates. One of the most notable changes was the appointment of former Economy, Finance, and Industry Minister Bruno Le Maire, widely blamed for the country’s tough economic situation, as the defense minister.
Lecornu’s term as prime minister, which lasted only 27 days, was the shortest in the history of the Fifth Republic. Previously, the shortest stint was held by Michel Barnier, who resigned in December 2024 after serving slightly more than three months in the role.