JAKARTA - Not even a month in office, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu reportedly resigned.
BFM TV reported on Monday, October 6 citing unnamed government sources. There has been no official statement regarding the news of Lecornu's resignation.
Lecornu, a loyalist elected by President Emmanuel Macron to become France's fifth prime minister in two years, was sworn in on September 10, amid widespread anti-government protests.
Lecornu, Macron's conservative and last defender, arrived at the prime minister's residence during the day where he met former Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, who was ousted by parliament.
French Prime Minister Lecornu last week rejected the use of special constitutional powers to pass the budget through parliament without voting, thus imposing responsibility on lawmakers to agree on a compromise.
Reported by Reuters, Friday, October 3, Lecornu's promise comes ahead of important negotiations with its political rivals - the extreme right-wing National Reli Party (RN) and the Socialist Party - regarding how to ratify the 2026 budget that has been streamlined.
This is a complicated legislative balance measure that could lead to his dismissal.
The two parties welcomed Lecornu's decision, but said it was not enough. The new prime minister is said to have to do more if they want them to agree not to vote for it.
Lecornu, who last month became President Emmanuel Macron's fifth prime minister in two years, has held complicated talks with party leaders and trade unions to find a way to pass the budget through a highly fragmented parliament.
"In a functioning parliament that has just been updated and reflects the face of France you can't just force something," Lecornu said in his first televised address since being appointed by Macron three weeks ago.
A special clause in article 49.3 of the constitution allows prime ministers to skip voting and pass draft laws through parliament, but leaves them vulnerable to no confidence motion that could bring down the government.
This clause has been criticized for being considered disrespectful to lawmakers and undemocratic, but Lecornu's predecessors often use it to pass complicated laws.
By refusing to use it, Lecornu is cornering parliamentary camps, forcing lawmakers to find compromises related to the budget.
"What surprised me was that behind the closed door of my office, compromise was possible, serious discussion, and always sincere," Lecornu said.
The English, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, and French versions are automatically generated by the AI. So there may still be inaccuracies in translating, please always see Indonesian as our main language. (system supported by DigitalSiber.id)
