HIBAPRESS
French Prime Minister-designate, Sebastien Locorno, continues his strenuous efforts today, Sunday, to form a new government in the absence of support from his allies on the right, before the constitutional deadline for presenting the 2026 budget project expires.
France has been experiencing a state of political turmoil since President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly in June 2024, resulting in a parliament without a clear majority, divided between the left, the center-right, and the far-right, which led to the succession of four prime ministers in less than a year. The upcoming government faces a race against time, as the constitution requires granting Parliament 70 days to study the budget project before December 31, leaving Locorno only two days to present it. Macron's visit to Egypt on Monday, to support Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, is expected to disrupt the cabinet meeting scheduled for that day. Locorno's task is viewed as risky, especially with the announcement by most political forces, from the left to the far-right, of their rejection of granting confidence to his second government. Only the "Socialist Group," which includes 69 deputies, is keeping the door ajar, but it requires major concessions, most notably the suspension of the pension reform that raised the retirement age to 64 years. Locorno had submitted his resignation last week after only 14 hours of forming his first government "due to the lack of appropriate political conditions," before Macron reappointed him on Friday evening. The new Prime Minister affirmed that he would not hesitate to resign again "if the necessary conditions for continuation are not met." It is likely that Locorno will resort to forming a mini-government limited to sovereign ministries to accelerate consultations, especially after the withdrawal of the "Republicans Party" and its centrist allies. Despite the Republicans' announcement of their support "project by project," this support does not guarantee the stability of the government. In light of the possibility of failing to gain confidence, it is not unlikely that Macron will once again resort to dissolving the National Assembly, a choice that opinion polls show will be in the interest of the "National Rally" led by Marine Le Pen. Political figures have warned of the repercussions of a new dissolution, as Marine Tonduli, the leader of the "Europe – Ecology – The Greens" party, said that the dissolution of the previous parliament cost the French economy about 15 billion euros and a decline in growth by 0.5 points, considering that the country cannot bear "another year of political stagnation."
