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French PM Lecornu races against the clock to form government

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  Published in Politics and Government on Sunday, October 12th 2025 at 13:38 GMT by ThePrint
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I will fetch content.French Prime Minister Le Corne Races Against the Clock to Form Government

After a contentious presidential campaign that saw France’s political spectrum split between the centrist incumbent and the far‑right challenger, the new administration has been thrust into a frantic scramble to assemble a workable cabinet. Prime Minister Le Corne, recently appointed by President Emmanuel Macron, has a narrow window of roughly six weeks to negotiate with parties, secure a majority in the National Assembly, and present a full slate of ministers before the Constitutional Council can ratify the formation of the new government.

1. A Divided Electorate

The June 2024 presidential election left France deeply polarized. Macron’s 47 % of the vote, a slim plurality over Marine Le Pen’s 28 %, marked the highest percentage of the electorate that a French president has secured since the Fifth Republic. However, the electoral college that elects the President – composed of municipal councillors, senators, and elected officials – gave the National Rally a decisive advantage in the final two‑round runoff. This paradox, wherein the president is elected by a majority of citizens but the electoral college favors the far‑right, sets up an uneasy balance of power that will shape the new cabinet.

The election also produced a fragmented National Assembly. The Republicans (Les Républicains), the Socialist Party (Parti Socialiste), the Greens (Les Verts), and the National Rally each hold roughly a tenth of the seats, while a handful of independent deputies and smaller parties are poised to hold the balance of power. Any coalition will therefore need to include at least three major blocs to exceed the 351‑seat threshold required for a majority.

2. The Race to Form a Coalition

Prime Minister Le Corne’s first priority is to secure a coalition that can win confidence votes on key pieces of legislation, particularly the 2025 budget and the controversial pension reform bill that the previous administration was forced to shelve. The French constitution allows the president to appoint the prime minister and to propose a list of ministers, but that list must be endorsed by a majority in the National Assembly or, failing that, a vote of confidence in the Senate. The latter option would force a snap election, which President Macron is keen to avoid.

Le Corne has already met with the leaders of the Republicans, the National Rally, and the Socialists. The Republicans, led by Christian Jacob, have expressed a willingness to join a "centre‑right" coalition as long as the government’s agenda includes an emphasis on law and order, as well as a moderated stance on immigration. The National Rally, under Marine Le Pen, has demanded that the cabinet includes at least one minister to oversee internal security and a second to handle border controls. Meanwhile, the Socialists, now re‑branded as “La République En Marche – Socialists” under Jean Benoît, have pushed for a comprehensive social‑welfare package and a stronger role for the Ministry of Ecology.

Given the National Assembly’s composition, Le Corne has to craft a platform that can satisfy these disparate demands while keeping the centre‑right’s core voters appeased. The stakes are high: a misstep could trigger a confidence vote that would topple the new administration and force a national election.

3. Procedural Steps and Timelines

The French constitution provides a 10‑day window for the president to appoint a prime minister, followed by a 5‑day period for the cabinet to be formally proposed. Afterward, the National Assembly has 21 days to vote on the proposed government. If the Assembly rejects the cabinet, the president can either dissolve the Assembly or seek a confidence vote in the Senate.

Le Corne is operating under the most compressed schedule imaginable. The first round of the presidential election concluded on 23 June, and the second round on 7 July. The Constitution stipulates that the new president must take office by 14 July. The prime minister’s appointment is scheduled for 15 July, with cabinet proposals to follow within the next week. The final confirmation of the cabinet will therefore need to occur no later than 12 August to avoid a constitutional crisis.

The Constitutional Council, which reviews the legality of the government’s formation, will also review the cabinet’s list of ministers. The council’s decision is typically swift, but any irregularity could trigger a prolonged legal battle.

4. Political Implications

The outcome of this coalition crisis will set a tone for French politics in the next decade. A successful centre‑right alliance would signal a return to stability after years of fragmentation and the influence of the National Rally. It would also give President Macron the political muscle to push through a tax reform that has been stalled for years.

Conversely, a failed attempt would force Macron to call a snap election, possibly enabling the far‑right to gain an even stronger foothold. In a climate where public discontent over economic inequality and immigration has been mounting, any delay in establishing a stable government risks exacerbating social unrest. Moreover, a coalition that includes the National Rally could normalize the far‑right’s participation in mainstream governance, raising questions about France’s commitments to European values.

5. Public Reaction

Protests erupted in Paris on 8 July after the election, with demonstrators chanting for a “France without fascism.” The demonstrations intensified on 12 July, the day when the president announced his intention to keep the National Rally out of the cabinet. The French police, under a new directive, were tasked with maintaining order while ensuring that protests could take place peacefully. These demonstrations highlight the heightened political tension and underline how the coalition negotiations are being viewed not just as a parliamentary exercise, but as a test of France’s democratic resilience.

6. Looking Ahead

As Prime Minister Le Corne navigates this treacherous political terrain, his success will hinge on his ability to forge a coalition that satisfies a broad spectrum of interests while remaining firmly within the constitutional limits. The coming weeks will be pivotal: a swift and inclusive agreement will stabilize French politics and help the country navigate looming economic challenges; a failure could trigger a constitutional crisis, further polarize the electorate, and perhaps usher in a new era of political volatility.

Whether Le Corne will triumph in this race against time remains uncertain, but the stakes for France’s democratic future are unmistakable. The world watches closely, knowing that the outcome will reverberate far beyond Paris’s borders.