French President Emmanuel Macron began meeting party leaders from across France's political spectrum on Friday with the aim, nearly seven weeks after inconclusive parliamentary elections, to finally give the country a new prime minister.
Whoever Macron names will face a tough job, with parliamentary approval of the 2025 budget one of many challenges at a time when France is under pressure from the European Commission and bond markets to reduce its deficit.
Who will become prime minister - and whether they can get a hung parliament to back any reforms - is still very much an open question, with no sign yet of any broader coalition that would have a stable majority.
Macron's gamble to call the snap parliamentary election backfired, with his centrist coalition losing dozens of seats in the June 30 and July 7 ballots, which delivered a hung parliament.
Outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal's government steered France through the Paris Olympics in a caretaker role. But the break is over, and Macron will appoint a prime minister after these talks, which will continue on Monday, his office said.