Macron to appoint new prime minister Friday morning amid political turmoil

President Emmanuel Macron will name a new prime minister on Friday morning, his office said, as pressure mounted to fill the post a week after MPs toppled the government.

"The statement naming the prime minister will be published tomorrow morning," the Elysee presidential palace said on Thursday after Macron returned early from a trip to Poland.

Macron was widely expected to name a new prime minister on Thursday evening.

Suspense mounts as Macron prepares to unveil new French PM

The new delay, albeit an overnight delay, underscores the political challenges posed by the fractured lower house of parliament, a result of July's snap elections.

The assembly remains split among a leftist alliance, centrists and conservatives, and the far-right National Rally (RN), complicating efforts to secure a stable government capable of surviving no-confidence votes.

On Thursday, Greens leader Marine Tondelier urged Macron to take bold action.

"The French public want a bit of enthusiasm, momentum, fresh wind, something new," she said in an interview with France 2 television, adding that the president needs to "get out of his comfort zone."

The urgency to name a new government leader follows last week's confidence vote, which ousted former Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

His administration, backed by Macron's centrists and Barnier's conservative allies, fell over a contentious cost-cutting budget proposal.

Meanwhile, Barnier's caretaker government on Wednesday approved an emergency bill aimed at maintaining essential financial functions, including tax collection and borrowing, despite the absence of a formal 2025 budget plan.

The stopgap measure is expected to pass parliament on Monday with broad support.

As the political gridlock continues, Macron faces mounting pressure to secure a cohesive government while navigating the fragmented parliamentary landscape.

(With newswires)