PARIS: France’s caretake prime minister on Wednesday said he saw a path to forming a new government but that the “final stretch” would be difficult, adding that it was possible France have a new premier in the next 48 hours.
Sebastien Lecornu, France’s fifth prime minister in two years, tendered his and his government’s resignation on Monday, just hours after announcing the cabinet line-up, making it the shortest-lived administration in modern France.
But at President Emmanuel Macron’s request, Lecornu has held further consultations with political leaders spanning the center left to center right in an effort to defuse the crisis and avoid snap parliamentary elections.
“I told the President of the Republic ... that I believe the situation allows for (him) to name a prime minister in the next 48 hours,” Lecornu told France 2 after briefing Macron on his talks.
Macron has this week faced calls to hold a snap parliamentary elections or resign, in particular from far-right and hardleft politicians but also from some in the political mainstream. Lecornu said his talks with other parties showed there was a majority in parliament against a snap election.
Markets have taken fright at the political paralysis in the euro zone’s second biggest economy, with investors already jittery over the country’s yawning budget deficit.
However, French assets saw some improvement on Wednesday after Lecornu expressed cautious optimism over the possibility of a deal in the morning, with Paris’ CAC 40 index up 1.1 percent on the day. The French benchmark remains one of Europe’s laggards in 2025.
Ahead of Lecornu’s remarks,
French bonds
outperformed their euro zone peers on the possibility that the country’s parliament may agree a budget by the end of the year.
It was unclear when Macron would announce any decisions.
Lecornu made clear he would not be the next prime minister. He declined to say who might be the next prime minister, or what their political leaning would likely be, stressing that this was up to Macron to decide.
France has a path to avoiding snap elections, caretaker PM Lecornu says
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France has a path to avoiding snap elections, caretaker PM Lecornu says
- Lecornu has held further consultations with political leaders spanning the center left to center right in an effort to defuse the crisis
- “I told the President of the Republic ... that I believe the situation allows for (him) to name a prime minister in the next 48 hours,” Lecornu told France 2
Russian army present in six African countries: state TV
- Russian troops or military instructors have been reported to be additionally deployed in Burkina Faso, Niger, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic and Libya
- The Wagner group was disbanded and restructured after its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a mysterious plane crash in August 2023 following a short-lived mutiny against Moscow
MOSCOW: The Russian army is operating in six African countries, state TV reported in a rare high-profile acknowledgement of the extent of Moscow’s official military presence on the continent.
Facing isolation in the West following its full-scale offensive in Ukraine, Moscow has tried to build new partnerships in Africa, where it has been growing its political, economic and military footprint in recent years.
“Officers and soldiers of the Russian Armed Forces unit are already operating in six African countries,” a state TV correspondent said in a report broadcast Sunday.
Except from Mali, the report did not specify which countries.
Russian troops or military instructors have been reported to be additionally deployed in Burkina Faso, Niger, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic and Libya.
The African Corps unit of the Russian defense ministry took over from the Wagner paramilitary group across the continent, diplomatic sources in the Sahel region told AFP in June.
The Wagner group was disbanded and restructured after its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a mysterious plane crash in August 2023 following a short-lived mutiny against Moscow.
Its troops had been fighting in Ukraine and had been deployed across Africa.
The state TV report identified Africa Corps as part of the Russian defense ministry.
It said most of the soldiers deployed were “veterans of the Special Military Operation,” Russia’s term for the war in Ukraine.
In one shot, a flag with insignia resembling the Wagner group’s trademark skull logo could be seen at what the reporter said was a Russian base in Mali.
The video also showed two Russian bombers launching an attack and displayed heavy Russian equipment including helicopters and armored personnel carriers.
Moscow says its forces are helping several African governments repel jihadist insurgencies.
