What will President Emmanuel Macron do now?
That question was back on everybody’s lips in France this week after the surprising resignation of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu and of his cabinet, less than 24 hours after its formation.
Mr. Lecornu, a close ally of Mr. Macron who was appointed barely a month ago, blamed France’s fractured political parties for failing to compromise on a budget that is badly needed to address the country’s surging debt and deficit.
His resignation leaves Mr. Macron with an assortment of imperfect, even unpalatable, options. Many opponents blame his decision to call snap elections last year for France’s political mess, and he is under immense pressure to find a way out of it.
Mr. Macron’s office said on Monday that he had asked Mr. Lecornu, who remains in a caretaker capacity, to hold last-ditch talks with political forces “to define a platform for action and stability for the country” by Wednesday evening. Mr. Lecornu said on social media that he had agreed to do so and that Mr. Macron would “draw all the necessary conclusions” depending on the result of the talks.
That offered little clarity on Mr. Macron’s ultimate intentions.
The presidency is in many ways France’s most powerful political office. But prime ministers and the members of their cabinets, who answer to the National Assembly, are formally in charge of domestic policy, including the budget.
Here’s what to know about what Mr. Macron could do:
A new government
The quickest solution is to appoint a new prime minister and form a new cabinet.
From a legal standpoint, Mr. Macron can pick whomever he likes. Politically, though, he needs someone who can pass muster with the 577 lawmakers in the lower house of Parliament, at least long enough to approve the 2026 budget.
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The post France’s Government Is Gone (Again). What Comes Next? appeared first on New York Times.
