Description: French President Emmanuel Macron has reappointed outgoing Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu in an attempt to avoid snap elections and resignation from the presidentship. Lecornu resigned 27 days after he was appointed France’s Prime Minister citing fundamental differences and partisan political charters as main obstacles to resolving France’s ongoing political crisis. The move was accompanied by a meeting in the Elysee Palace which was attended by President Macron and members of the largest political parties with the exception of the far – right National Rally and the far – left France Unbowed. Lecornu’s reappointment arrives only days after he signaled some sort of a progress in the negotiations for the country’s upcoming budget, the issues with the government’s cabinet and other sticking points such as the pension reform and the taxation of the rich. Lecornu would be expected to introduce his cabinet in the next couple of days alongside his budget proposal to tackle the country’s mounting debt problems. National Rally and France Unbowed both denounced his reappointment and vowed to further censure his government cabinet.
Impact: Lecornu’s unexpected reappointment represents yet another postponement method by French President Macron, who is struggling with decline in popularity, heavy criticism and a locked government. The exclusion of key political factors in the country such as the National Rally and the France Unbowed from the coalition meeting indicates that Macron is attempting to form a majority government by offering less painful concessions to parties such as the Socialist or the Republicans as opposed to demands from the far – left and far – right to call for snap elections or resign. Lecornu’s surge in popularity and political shrewdness illustrated through his composed political approach could secure some sort of an interim resolution to the crisis in case his government cabinet is not heavily censured by the National Rally and the France Unbowed. France’s political crisis would persist in the short term with substantial potential to be resolved by the end of the year, either through a wider political coalition or governmental restructuring through snap elections.