Emmanuel Macron has summoned leaders of several political parties to a meeting at the presidential palace, demanding they show “collective responsibility” as he scrambles to appoint a new prime minister by Friday night. The invitation, sent at 2am, excluded Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s leftwing La France Insoumise, prompting sharp reactions from both parties.
Jordan Bardella, National Rally president, said his party was “honoured” not to be invited, adding: “Our party is not for sale.” Mélenchon called for Macron’s resignation, but the president’s office has repeatedly ruled this out before his term ends in 2027. The centrist president faces the worst domestic crisis since his 2017 election, with parliament split into three blocs—left, far right, and centre—none holding a majority.
The crisis deepened after Sébastien Lecornu, a Macron ally, resigned as prime minister just 14 hours after appointing a government, having faced fierce criticism for refusing to broaden his cabinet. Lecornu quit before his first cabinet meeting or policy speech, becoming the third French prime minister in a year following François Bayrou’s ouster over budget cuts.
Macron is searching for his sixth prime minister in under two years, needing a figure who can broker compromise to pass a budget through a fractured parliament. A revised draft budget for 2026 could be presented on Monday, with a deadline for parliamentary approval by year-end. France’s central bank chief, François Villeroy de Galhau, warned that political uncertainty is “the No 1 enemy of growth,” impacting business and consumer confidence.
