PARIS (AP) — French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu survived two votes of no-confidence Thursday that could have toppled his fragile new government and plunged France deeper into political chaos. The National Assembly votes clear the way for the embattled Lecornu to pursue what could be an even greater challenge: getting a 2026 budget for the…
By Alun John, Dhara Ranasinghe and Stefano Rebaudo LONDON (Reuters) -France’s financial markets are riding a roller-coaster as the country grapples with one of its worst political crises in decades, and while sentiment is improving, the bumpy ride is not over. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has promised to suspend a landmark pension reform until…
By Elizabeth Pineau and Mathieu Rosemain PARIS (Reuters) -French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu met with President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday evening, ahead of a likely naming of a new cabinet before a Monday deadline to present a 2026 budget. Lecornu was reappointed prime minister on Friday and has been working to quickly appoint key cabinet…
By Gabriel Stargardter and Mathieu Rosemain PARIS (Reuters) -Reappointed Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Saturday urged France’s political parties to work together to put an end to the “ridiculous spectacle” seen in recent days, as he faces a Monday deadline to present a budget. President Emmanuel Macron’s decision to reappoint Lecornu has enraged some of…
By Inti Landauro and Makini Brice PARIS (Reuters) -Caretaker French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu struck a cautiously optimistic tone on Wednesday, saying a deal on the country’s budget could eventually be reached, making the possibility of a snap election less likely. Lecornu’s remarks came as he was set to wrap up talks on Wednesday with…
His decision was taken at the end of a rollercoaster day during which the French president himself made no public remarks, but was spotted pacing alone along the banks of the Seine, cutting a solitary figure and apparently weighing up the future of France. Ultimately, the outcome of his deliberations was underwhelming and appears doomed…
The conservative Les Républicains, led by the hardline outgoing Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, wanted guarantees that Retailleau would retain his post and would be granted full control over issuing visas and limiting access to medical care for undocumented people. The party, which had supported the previous two minority governments, also wanted assurances that Lecornu would…
By Michel Rose, Elizabeth Pineau and Benoit Van Overstraeten PARIS (Reuters) -France’s new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu and his government resigned on Monday, hours after Lecornu announced his cabinet line-up, in a major deepening of France’s political crisis that drove stocks and the euro sharply lower. The swift, unexpected resignation came after allies and foes…
PARIS (Reuters) – New French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said on Saturday that he was dropping a proposal by his predecessor to cut back two public holidays as part of budget measures aimed at reducing the deficit. Reacting to news that credit rating agency Fitch had downgraded France’s sovereign credit score to A+ on Friday…
The problem, however, is dissolving parliament is exactly how French politics ended up in this mess in the first place. The political landscape hasn’t much changed since last summer, so elections could very well just deliver another hung parliament. Before Monday, Macron looked unlikely to send voters back to the polls. He has repeatedly, including…