France: Macron Blames Rivals for Chaos, Refuses to Quit

By Staff, Agencies

The French president, Emmanuel Macron, has accused rival political parties of fueling instability as he brushed aside calls by the opposition for him to resign amid France’s worst political crisis in decades.

“Many of those who have fueled division and speculation have not risen to the moment,” Macron said of French opposition parties, as he arrived in Egypt on Monday to attend a summit on Gaza.

He said rival “political forces” were “solely responsible for this chaos” after they “instigated the destabilization” of the prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu.

Lecornu, a Macron ally, held his first meeting with the new government, which includes Macron loyalists and figures from the civil service and civil society. New faces include former state-run railway [SNCF] chief Jean-Pierre Farandou, now labor minister.

Laurent Nuñez, a former junior interior minister during the 2018–19 yellow vests protests, was named interior minister. He recently served as Paris police chief, overseeing security for last year’s Olympics.

France saw its second government in a week after Lecornu's first collapsed in 14 hours over backlash. He resigned, was reappointed by Macron, and formed a new cabinet. “How long will it last?” regional papers asked.

France has lurched from crisis to crisis since Macron’s gamble on a snap election last year that led to an inconclusive result. Parliament remains divided between the three blocs: the left, the far right and the center, with no clear majority.

Some parties have urged Macron to resign, but he rejected the calls, saying his duty is to serve the French people and safeguard France’s independence. “I will continue to ensure stability,” he said.

Macron’s term ends in spring 2027. He declined to speculate on a possible dissolution of parliament and snap election if the latest government fails. “I’m not making any bets,” he said. “I want the country to move forward.”

Lecornu faces the urgent task of passing the 2026 budget by year’s end. He urged ministers to overcome the political crisis, which he said is frustrating both the French public and international observers. “Put egos aside,” he told them, calling for unity and compromise.

The prime minister will deliver his first key policy speech to the French parliament on Tuesday afternoon.

The leftwing La France Insoumise and far-right National Rally plan no-confidence motions. To topple the government, opposition parties—including the Socialists—must unite in support.

The Socialist Party will wait for Lecornu’s policy speech before deciding but warned it may oppose the government unless he suspends Macron’s 2023 law raising the retirement age from 62 to 64.

The new cabinet will present a draft budget Tuesday morning, featuring public spending cuts. Parliament has 70 days to review it before year-end.

“We have to give this country a budget, otherwise we’re heading for catastrophe,” the new minister for external commerce, Nicolas Forissier, told Ici Berry television.