President Emmanuel Macron at the French Foreign Ministry, on October 9,2025. JULIEN MUGUET FOR LE MONDE
France's Emmanuel Macron is due to pick a prime minister on Friday, October 10, who would be tasked with pulling the country out of a political gridlock, in a move that staves off fresh elections for now. French politics have been deadlocked ever since last year, when Macron took the gamble of calling snap elections that he hoped would consolidate power, but instead resulted in a hung parliament and more seats for the far right.
Macron was due to meet with leaders of all political parties, apart from the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) and the radical left La France Insoumise parties, in the early afternoon. Shortly before the meeting, the presidency in a statement called on all parties to recognize the "moment of collective responsibility."
The centrist president, facing the worst domestic crisis of his presidency since 2017, has yet to address the public. The escalating crisis has seen former allies criticise the president. Former premier Edouard Philippe, a contender in the next presidential elections, earlier this week said Macron himself should step down after a budget was passed. Yet Macron has always insisted he would stay until the end of his term.
