Sebastien Lecornu to hold two days of talks to try to shore up cross-party support for his collapsed government.

France’s outgoing prime minister has launched a last-gasp bid to secure cross-party support for his government and chart a path out of the country’s deepening political crisis.

The frantic effort, which began on Tuesday, will see Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu seeking two days of talks with parliamentary figures, just a day after he tendered his resignation over the rejection of his proposed cabinet.

That snub, which came from allies and rivals alike, and Lecornu’s announcement that he would quit after just 27 days, have stoked the political crisis bubbling beneath President Emmanuel Macron since the 2024 snap elections.

Now, in a move that has caused confusion among lawmakers and the public, Lecornu has accepted a request from Macron that he hold talks to try to find a way out of the deadlock.

Lecornu, whose 14-hour administration was the shortest in modern French history, was scheduled on Tuesday morning to meet several members of the conservative Republicans and the centre-right Renaissance parties – the so-called “common platform” – to see if they could agree on a new cabinet.

But voices on both sides have reacted with shock, and suggestions that it is now time for Macron himself to make way.

Macron has tasked Lecornu with “conducting final negotiations by Wednesday evening to define a platform of action and stability for the country”, according to the Elysee Palace.

It was not immediately clear what Lecornu’s task would entail. France’s constitution allows Macron to appoint another prime minister, or to reappoint Lecornu – the fifth PM he has installed in less than two years – should he wish.

Politicians of all stripes have expressed surprise over the move. Some said it appeared to be an effort by Macron to buy time.

Others insisted that it means an early presidential election is needed.

Unsurprisingly, Jordan Bardella, leader of the far-right National Rally, was among them. He said he believed parliament should be dissolved, with parliamentary or early presidential elections to follow.

However, Edouard Philippe, once a close ally of Macron who served as prime minister, also told French media that he was in favour of a presidential vote.

Another former prime minister under Macron, Gabriel Attal, expressed bafflement, saying, “Like many French people, I do not understand the president’s decisions any more.”

Political chaos

Macron tasked Lecornu with forming a government in early September after the fractured French parliament toppled his predecessor, Francois Bayrou, over an austerity budget that prompted nationwide strikes in recent weeks.

Despite Lecornu’s promises to “break” with Bayrou’s strategies, his new cabinet, unveiled on Sunday evening, immediately drew criticism for containing many of the same faces from the previous government, with opponents complaining that it contained too many right-wing representatives or not enough.

The French parliament has been sharply divided since Macron, in response to gains made by the far right, announced snap elections last year, resulting in a hung parliament and now nearly two years of political crisis.

The 47-year-old centrist president has repeatedly said he will see out his second term, which is due to end in 2027.