Emmanuel Macron reappoints failed ex-PM as chaos continues in France

President Macron's rivals from across the French political spectrum have argued that the best way out of the country's deepest political crisis in decades was for him to either hold snap parliamentary elections or resign.

Mr Lecornu's immediate task will be to deliver a budget to parliament by the end of Monday.

"I accept, out of duty, the mission entrusted to me by the President of the Republic to do everything possible to provide France with a budget by the end of the year and to address the daily life issues of our fellow citizens," Lecornu wrote on social media.

"We must put an end to this political crisis that exasperates the French people and to this instability that is harmful to France's image and its interests."

President Macron earlier convened a meeting of mainstream party leaders to rally support around his choice.

Leftist leaders expressed dismay Mr Macron would not be picking a Prime Minister from their ranks, their indignant response suggesting his future government might be as fragile as those that preceded it.

Another collapsed government would raise the likelihood of Mr Macron calling a snap election, a scenario seen benefitting the hard right the most.

Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure told reporters "We're not looking for parliament to be dissolved, but nor are we afraid" as he left the meeting.

France's political crisis, which has dented growth and spooked financial markets, was in large part triggered by Mr Macron's decision last year to hold a legislative election, a gamble that delivered a hung parliament split between three ideologically opposed blocs.

The country's push to get its finances in order, requiring budget cuts or tax hikes that no party can agree on, has only deepened the malaise.

So, too, has manoeuvring by political leaders seeking to succeed Mr Macron in the 2027 presidential election.

If the National Assembly cannot find common ground on a budget in the time given, emergency legislation may be needed to keep the country running next year on a roll-over budget.

Macron shut out Marine Le Pen's National Rally (RN) and the hard left France Unbowed (LFI) from the meeting of party chiefs.

Jordan Bardella of the French National Rally confirmed he would vote the Lecornu Government down.

He said: "The Lecornu II government, appointed by Emmanuel Macron who is more isolated and out of touch than ever at the Elysee Palace, is a bad joke, a democratic disgrace and a humiliation for the French people."

Mathilde Panot, of LFI said: "Never before has a President wanted so much to govern by disgust and anger.

"Lecornu, who resigned on Monday, was reappointed by Macron on Friday. Macron miserably postpones the inevitable: his departure."

Central to the most recent budget negotiations have been the left's desire to repeal Macron's 2023 pension reforms that lifted the retirement age, and tax the wealthy more heavily. Those demands have been hard to square with the conservatives, whose support Macron also needs to pass a budget.

In the meeting, Macron offered to delay raising the retirement age as far as 64 by a year to 2028. Green leader Marine Tondelier described the concession as insufficient.

Villeroy said it would be preferable if the deficit did not exceed 4.8 per cent of GDP in 2026. The deficit is forecast to hit 5.4 per cent this year, nearly double the European Union's cap.

Macron's second-to-last prime minister, Francois Bayrou, was ousted by the National Assembly over his plans for €44billion in savings to bring the deficit down to 4.6 per cent of GDP.