Macron Seeks His Sixth Prime Minister Within 2 Years

French President Emmanuel Macron/PHOTO European Union via Wikimedia Commons

JAKARTA - French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday is looking for his sixth prime minister in less than two years. He hopes his next option can direct the budget through a legislature that is divided by the crisis.

Macron's office on Wednesday said the president would appoint a new prime minister within 48 hours, after Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who would step down for two days of talks to find a way out of France's worst political crisis in modern history.

He said he had learned from sal's negotiations that the majority of parliamentarians opposed holding an impromptu parliamentary election, that there was a way to pass the budget by the end of the year, and that debates over pension reforms could be held.

Macron's retirement reform in 2023, which gradually raised his retirement age from 62 to 64, is one of the president's main policies. Left-wing members have called for the law to be revoked or suspended.

However, Lecornu's statement, and the prospect of a new prime minister, failed to reach compromise among the rival parties, which largely adhered to their view of how to proceed.

Manuel Bompard, from France Unbowed's extreme left-wing (LFI) party, said the debate over retirement had taken place and urged Macron to resign. Jordan Bardella, president of the extreme right-wing party National Rally (RN), reiterated his party's call for a new parliamentary election.

Both LFI and RN have boycotted talks with the prime minister.

The Socialist Party said Macron should appoint a prime minister from the left side. Republicans, which are part of the government that will end their term of office, said they would not support the prime minister from the left side.

The crisis caused concern in the financial market, but bonds maintained profits from the previous day as France's optimism could avoid an impromptu parliamentary election and agreed on a budget.