France’s outgoing Prime Minister expects Macron to name his replacement in 48 hours

The outgoing French Prime Minister said on Wednesday (October 8, 2025) that he expects President Emmanuel Macron to name his replacement in the next 48 hours.

Sébastien Lecornu didn’t say who might replace him, but he appeared to rule himself out of coming back to the job, saying: “My mission is finished.” But Mr. Lecornu’s eagerly awaited interview with broadcaster France Télévisions otherwise left more questions than it answered about how Mr. Macron intends to dig France out of its protracted political crisis.

Mr. Lecornu resigned abruptly on Monday (October 6, 2025), just 14 hours after naming his Cabinet. Mr. Macron then asked him to keep pursuing efforts to build support among lawmakers for France’s budget for 2026, a national priority.

Two more days of Mr. Lecornu-led talks with political parties— other than Mr. Macron’s fiercest opponents on the far left and far right that refused talks — failed to provide clarity on what Mr. Macron’s next steps will be. But Mr. Lecornu said that his consensus-building effort had made progress.

“I feel that a path is still possible. It is difficult,” he said. “I think that the situation allows the president to name a Prime Minister in the next 48 hours.”