Overview

• Philippe called for appointing a short-term prime minister tasked solely with building and passing the 2026 budget, followed by an announcement of an early presidential vote.
• He warned of an “affaissement de l’État” and rejected dissolving the National Assembly, arguing it risks producing no workable majority.
• Macron has given Sébastien Lecornu a brief window through Wednesday evening to secure cross-party backing for a stable cabinet and a governing platform.
• A near-term presidential election is viewed as unlikely because Macron has repeatedly said he will not step aside before the scheduled 2027 contest.
• Political reactions split quickly, with LR’s Bruno Retailleau calling the proposal a grave institutional step reserved for the president and PCF leader Fabien Roussel saying he would not oppose returning to the voters.