Macron reappoints Lecornu as France PM

Just four days after resigning from the role, Sébastien Lecornu was reappointed as prime minister on Friday by French President Emmanuel Macron.  Lecornu said, he accepted his reappointment "out of duty", just days after he handed in his resignation to French President Emmanuel Macron. The decision was met with heavy criticism from France's left and far right, with several political figures promising to vote down the new government. Read our liveblog to see how the day's events unfolded.
However, this sudden reappointment has been witness to backlash from key political allies as well as the opposition.Jordan Bardella, the leader of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, wrote on social media after the reappointment announcement that Lecornu returning as PM is a “bad joke” and a “humiliation” for the French people.”
“All the political parties that helped Emmanuel Macron gain the time he needed to implement this shameful manipulation will be held to account at the next elections,” said RN leader Marine Le Pen.
Stephane Trousssel, a spokesperson for the Socialist Party also referred to the reappointment as a 'bad joke' on French people. "It's a farce. In which Emmanuel Macron is the protagonist. A bad joke for millions of citizens who expect change and hope for the future. They can rest assured that this President's reign will soon be coming to an end," he said.
In the past two years, Lecornu is the fifth prime minister to have taken the office. Since Elisabeth Borne's resignation, the top French office has been subject to frequent change. Before Lecornu, Gabriel Attal, Michel Barneir and Francois Bayrou held the post of PM. By giving Lecornu another chance, Macron is attempting to find political balance to prevent the next government from collapsing, which would likely make snap elections unavoidable and usher in a new period of political instability. France's political turmoil, which has dented growth and spooked financial markets, was in large part triggered by Macron's decision last year to hold a legislative election, a gamble that delivered a hung parliament split between three ideologically opposed blocs.
Lecornu need to propose a 2026 budget on Monday in order to get the legislation adopted by the end of the year through the normal process. If not, the National Assembly will be required to pass an emergency bill to keep the government funded.