France's outgoing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu says President Emmanuel Macron could nominate a new prime minister in the next 48 hours
Speaking on French TV, he also says there's no majority in parliament for new elections - here's what else he said
We now know for sure that Lecornu is not going to withdraw his resignation, writes our Europe digital editor - but we still don't know who'll replace him
Lecornu resigned on Monday, but was asked by President Macron to stay for 48 hours in a last-ditch effort to form a new government
Lecornu had been in office for 26 days when he stood down - becoming the third French PM to leave his job in less than a year - after failing to push through a budget to bring down France's deficit and tackle public debt
Macron himself is under pressure from leaders on the left and right to resign - here's what the various party leaders have said
After two days of talks aimed at resolving France's political crisis, outgoing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has arrived at the Elysee Palace to tell President Emmanuel Macron whether he has found a solution to avoid snap elections.
We'll hear the outcome of those talks for ourselves come 20:00 in France (19:00 BST). Stay with us until then.
Paul Kirby and Laura Gozzi
Europe digital editor and reporter
Image source, AFP via Getty ImagesThe biggest challenge Lecornu and his two predecessors faced had been on how to tackle the country's crippling national debt, as well as getting over the ideological divisions between the centre-ground parties.
Earlier this year, public debt stood at €3,345bn (£2,898bn), or almost 114% of economic output (GDP), which is the third highest in the eurozone after Greece and Italy. France's budget deficit this year is projected to hit 5.4% of GDP.
Michel Barnier and François Bayrou lasted only three and nine months respectively before being ousted in confidence votes as they tried to tackle the deficit with austerity budgets.
Lecornu did not even make it as far as presenting a budget plan, having only lasted 26 days.
Criticism poured in from all sides as soon as he presented his cabinet on Sunday afternoon and by Monday morning he had decided his position was untenable, as he blamed the unmovable stance of parties who "all behave as if they had a majority".
Laura Gozzi
Reporting from Paris
Image source, Getty ImagesJune 2024: Faced with a bruising defeat for his party at the European Parliament elections, President Macron calls a surprise snap parliamentary election (not a presidential election) which he says will bring “clarity” to the situation.
July 2024: Two rounds of voting result in a hung parliament. The left-wing alliance New Popular Front clinch victory, with Macron’s centrists coming second and pushing Marine Le Pen’s far right National Rally (RN) into third place. But none of the parties win enough seats to form an outright majority, spelling a stalemate - and trouble ahead.
September 2024: After two months of consultations, Macron appoints conservative Michel Barnier, the former Brexit negotiator, as prime minister.
4 December 2024: Barnier’s government collapses after he controversially uses special powers to force through his budget.
13 December 2024: Centrist François Bayrou is appointed prime minister.
August 2025: Bayrou calls a confidence vote on plans for deep budget cuts.
8 September: Bayrou loses the confidence vote.
9 September: Macron ally Sébastien Lecornu is appointed prime minister.
5 October: Lecornu unveils his cabinet, which is immediately criticised by several parliamentary factions.
6 October: Lecornu resigns after 26 days in post but is asked by Macron to stay on for another two days - until this evening - in an attempt to find “stability” for the country.
7 October: As the clock ticks, Lecornu holds talks with various political parties. He's now due to speak to French TV at 20:00 local time (19:00 BST).
Ben Hatton
Live reporter
Image source, EPAOutgoing French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu
This is a moment of high drama in French politics: can the parties reach a compromise on forming a government and passing a budget, or will an early election be needed? Or, perhaps, will the paralysis continue?
At the heart of the story is outgoing Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. He handed in his resignation on Monday, but was given two days by Emmanuel Macron to hold talks with other parties and come up with a plan for what should happen next - the deadline is this evening.
The third French PM to leave the job in less than a year, in post for only 26 days, and resigning the day after assembling his cabinet - Lecornu's exit is a reminder of the political turmoil France is in.
At the root of the problem are three things: a budget needs to be passed (and fast to deal with the government's deficit and tackle public debt), no party has a majority in parliament, and because of that it has proved very difficult to hold a government together.
But Lecornu, speaking earlier today, said he had detected a willingness among the political parties to pass a budget before the end of the year.
So what next? We expect to find out more when Lecornu speaks to French TV at 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT).
We'll have all the updates and more on the background and possible pathways forward - stick with us.