Overview

• Outgoing prime minister Sébastien Lecornu ended two days of consultations, declared his mission finished, and said an absolute majority of deputies oppose a new dissolution.
• The Élysée said a nominee will be named by Friday, with Lecornu reporting a possible path to pass a 2026 budget, which the government aims to present on Monday.
• Lecornu said a suspension of the retirement reform would cost not less than €3 billion in 2027, as Socialists and Ecologists press for reopening the law and parts of the right and business group Medef push back.
• The Socialist Party and Ecologists demand a left‑wing prime minister as the price of cooperation, while Marine Le Pen’s RN vows to censure any government until a dissolution is secured.
• Macron’s timeline is shaped by Thursday’s Panthéon ceremony for Robert Badinter, making a Friday decision likely and potentially accompanied by the unveiling of a cabinet.