PARIS: Embattled French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu delivered a high-stakes speech to a deeply divided parliament on Tuesday.
Opponents are already attempting to topple his government amid France’s ongoing political crisis.
The eurozone’s second-largest economy faces market concerns about its minority government’s ability to govern effectively.
France must pass measures to ease its substantial debt burden despite the political deadlock.
Lecornu resigned last week only to be reappointed days later in a dramatic political turnaround.
The 39-year-old prime minister has urged his new cabinet to help France overcome the current deadlock.
His government must pass an austerity budget by the end of the year to address financial pressures.
President Emmanuel Macron warned that any vote to topple Lecornu’s cabinet would force parliament dissolution.
Macron stated any no-confidence motion would be equivalent to a dissolution motion during a government meeting.
All political attention focused on Lecornu’s policy speech starting at 1300 GMT on Tuesday.
Observers watched to see if he would suspend the deeply unpopular pensions reform.
The hard-left France Unbowed party and far-right National Rally have filed motions to topple the new cabinet.
The Socialists refuse to support those motions but will file their own if Lecornu doesn’t suspend pension reforms.
The controversial reform raised France’s retirement age from 62 to 64 in 2023.
The government originally forced the pension changes through parliament without a vote.
Months of angry protests followed the implementation of the pension reform.
Nobel economics prize winner Philippe Aghion supported suspending the reform to avoid far-right gains.
Aghion previously served as an advisor to President Macron before winning his Nobel recognition.
Lecornu’s two immediate predecessors were ousted in austerity budget standoffs.
His primary task involves persuading parliament to approve his 2026 budget plan.
The new cabinet must present its budget plan to parliament under a constitutional deadline.
Lecornu becomes the seventh prime minister serving under Macron’s presidential mandate.
He told cabinet members on Monday they must show utmost restraint and humility.
Lecornu emphasized that public service requires putting personal egos aside completely.
The prime minister previously promised not to force laws through parliament to gain opposition support.
He committed to allowing all bills proper debate in the lower house of parliament.
President Macron faces unprecedented political pressure from multiple directions.
Some opposition leaders are urging him to call snap elections or resign immediately.
Key allies including former prime minister Edouard Philippe have distanced themselves from Macron.
France entered political deadlock after Macron’s gamble on snap elections last summer.
The president hoped the polls would consolidate his political power base.
Instead the elections resulted in a hung parliament with no clear majority.
The National Rally gained significant ground to become the chamber’s largest single party.
The far-right party senses its strongest opportunity to seize power in 2027 presidential elections.
Macron’s second and final presidential term concludes before the 2027 elections.
France maintains the EU’s third-highest debt-to-GDP ratio after Greece and Italy.
The country’s debt level approaches twice the 60% limit fixed by European Union rules. – AFP
