French President Emmanuel Macron promises to name a new Prime Minister in a few days

French President Emmanuel Macron has said he will appoint a new prime minister “in the coming days”, after Michel Barnier resigned following a vote of no confidence in Parliament.

In a 10-minute address to the nation on Thursday, he rejected opposition pressure to step down, vowing to remain in office “in full, until the end of his mandate” in 2027.

He thanked Barnier for his dedication during his short tenure as prime minister, and accused the French right and left of working together in an “anti-republican” way to topple the government.

French MPs voted overwhelmingly to remove Barnier on Wednesday, three months after he was appointed by Macron.

The vote was the first time a French government has been voted down by parliament in more than 60 years, a move Macron described as “unprecedented”.

In France, it is the president who chooses the prime minister and runs the government. But the prime minister must answer to parliament and Barnier only lasted three months before he was ousted by a vote of no confidence.

Finding a candidate who won’t be quickly rejected by parliament could prove difficult for Macron, whose decision in June to call snap elections led to a bankrupt parliament.

The National Assembly is now divided into three main voting branches – left, center and far right. If Macron’s next election for prime minister is to last, it is thought that at least part of the left bloc will need to be persuaded to join the next government.

The president was due to hold talks with several political leaders on Friday, telling the French people that “he will appoint in the coming days a prime minister who will form a government of great interest”.

He first spoke to centrists in the “Macron camp”, before meeting with Socialist leaders, in the hope of persuading them to break with the far-left party, the New Popular Front. He will also address right-wing Republicans.

Socialist leader Olivier Faure said before the talks that he is open to discussion and “agrees on all issues” regarding the formation of a government based on a “fixed-term contract”. But he made it clear that he had little desire to “guarantee the continuation of Macronism”.

No new parliamentary elections can be held until July 2025, which may explain Faure’s comments about opening a limited term for the next government.

Responding to Macron’s speech on Thursday, Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), posted on social media: “A small reminder to President Macron, who should be a guarantee of the Constitution: in the Constitution of our Fifth Republic.”

The vote of no confidence that overthrew Barnier’s leadership was launched by the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP), and Le Pen’s RN.

They have come together to criticize the government after the former Brexit negotiator used special powers to force through his budget without a vote.

331 MPs voted in favor of the motion against Barnier, far more than the 288 needed to pass.

Barnier resigned on Thursday, and the budget was automatically withdrawn. He will remain in his position with his ministers until a new government is appointed. Macron’s role is unaffected.

Macron has been widely criticized for deciding to call snap elections, creating a stalemate in parliament and a growing political crisis.

He admitted in his address that his decision “was not understood”: “Many have accused me of it and, I know, many continue to accuse me. It is true and it is my responsibility.”

Addressing voters directly, he said some of his political opponents had chosen “chaos over commitment” and that they were not thinking “why, voters”, suggesting they focus on the upcoming presidential election.

Macron did not give an indication of who will be the next prime minister, but said that they will focus more on the 2025 budget.

Speculation has been rife about who could be named, including Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, and former presidential candidate François Bayrou.

Before Macron chose Barnier as prime minister, he asked his predecessor Gabriel Attal will remain as caretaker for two months after the summer elections.

It seems unlikely that the next government will be in office before Saturday, when world leaders including US President-elect Donald Trump will attend the opening ceremony of the rebuilt Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The building was destroyed by fire in April 2019, and its reconstruction more than five years later was praised worldwide.

Macron said the rebuilding of the cathedral, as well as France’s successful hosting of the 2024 Olympics, was “proof that we can do great things”.

“We can do the impossible,” he said. “The world praises us for that.”