France Faces Political Turmoil as Macron Seeks New Prime Minister

President Emmanuel Macron convened mainstream political leaders at the Elysee for crucial talks aimed at appointing a new prime minister by his self-imposed deadline of late Friday. This comes as the head of France's central bank warns that ongoing political unrest is hampering national growth.

Macron is on the hunt for his sixth prime minister in under two years, tasked with steering the 2026 budget through a divided parliament. Key figures from across the political spectrum, barring the far-right National Rally and hard-left France Unbowed, attended the meeting. Observers suggest a snap parliamentary election could be called if no consensus is reached.

Amid a complex debate over national budget priorities, Macron faces socialist calls to repeal the 2023 pension reform and impose higher taxes on the wealthy, complicated by conservative opposition. Economic projections indicate that ongoing political uncertainty is detrimental to France's GDP, with concerns that mainstream parties want to avoid an election that might favor the far-right.

(With inputs from agencies.)