French Prime Minister Lecornu must save the budget by Monday

Sébastien Lecornu finds himself in an extremely tense situation following his unexpected return to the office of French Prime Minister. President Emmanuel Macron reappointed him just a few days after his resignation, even though Lecornu had previously admitted that he would be unable to push through an austerity budget with a divided parliament.

Now he must present the draft budget for 2026 and a new cabinet by Monday, or risk the immediate collapse of the government.

Opposition parties from the far left to the far right have already announced that they will vote for his dismissal, leaving the Prime Minister dependent on the tacit support of the Socialists.

Lecornu promises a government of “renewal and diversity,” but his position is uncertain—he lasted only 27 days in his first term, the shortest in modern French history.

He wants to reduce the budget deficit to 4.7 to 5 percent of GDP while maintaining a balance between austerity measures and the social commitments of Macron's policies.

(reuters, lup)