ISTANBUL

French President Emmanuel Macron instructed the outgoing Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, who resigned earlier on Monday, to hold “final negotiations” with political parties, the Elysee Palace announced.

The Presidency said in a statement on Monday that Macron asked Lecournu to continue talks and present concrete proposals by Wednesday evening in a bid to establish “a platform for action and stability for the country," the French news broadcaster BFMTV reported.

Lecornu confirmed on the US social media company X that he had “agreed to the request of the President of the Republic” to engage in talks with various political forces “for the stability of the country.”

“I will tell the head of state on Wednesday evening whether this is possible or not, so that he can draw all the necessary conclusions,” he said.

According to Macron’s entourage, cited by BFMTV, the president “will take responsibility” if the discussions led by Lecornu fail to produce a viable outcome.

Lecornu was appointed prime minister after Francois Bayrou lost a confidence vote in the National Assembly on Sept. 8.

Bayrou, who unveiled a 2026 budget framework in July, was seeking support for a plan to save nearly €44 billion (about $51 billion) as part of efforts to reduce France’s soaring public debt, now at 115% of its GDP.

France has one of the EU's largest budget deficits at 5.8% of GDP.

Budget negotiations have been a major source of tension in French politics.

The failure to reach an agreement on the 2025 budget last year also led to the collapse of the Michel Barnier government in December after left-wing and far-right parties united behind a no-confidence motion.