Macron scouts for new prime minister to quell turmoil

French President Emmanuel Macron is searching for the fifth prime minister of his tumultuous second term, in the hope they can wrangle a deficit-cutting budget through a hung parliament and ward off another early legislative election, Report informs referring to the Financial Times.

The ousting of premier François Bayrou after he lost a confidence vote on Monday has sparked another political crisis that risks spreading to the streets and the markets, with protests and a potential ratings downgrade looming. The Elysée palace said on Monday night that Macron would name a new premier in the coming days.

But he has few viable options to forge a stable government, given he has no parliamentary majority and does not want to call snap elections. During his first term in office, Macron appointed only two premiers. He has already had four in the first two years of his final term, which ends in 2027.

This time, it is less about the person chosen and more about the strategy for quelling the restive parliament long enough to at least pass a budget for 2026. At stake is Macron's legacy, which was severely damaged by the snap election he called and lost last summer.