French President Emmanuel Macron has rejected calls to stand down amid a political crisis that saw his prime minister ousted in a no-confidence vote.
In a speech following Michel Barnier’s resignation, Macron said his mandate was one of five years he would see through to the end.
Macron did not name Barnier’s replacement and said the appointment of a new prime minister would be announced in the coming days.
He said France could not hold new parliamentary elections for 10 months after snap elections in July.
Barnier’s government collapsed after MPs overwhelmingly voted to support a resolution against him, just three months after Macron appointed him.
The vote to remove Barnier was the first time parliament had voted by parliament in more than 60 years, a move Macron labeled “unprecedented” on Thursday night.
He thanked Barnier for his “dedication” and “unwillingness to give up” during his brief tenure, but he would not resign.
“The mandate you gave me democratically is one of five years and I will see it through to the end,” he said.
Macron accused the French far-right and the far-right of collaborating in an “anti-republican front”.
Addressing voters directly, he said some of his political opponents had chosen “chaos” and that he was not thinking “about you, the voters”, suggesting his interest was the next presidential election.
The French government said Barnier will remain in office on a caretaker basis with his ministers until a new government is appointed.
Names for a new prime minister have been doing the rounds, including Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Bruno Retaileau and centrist former presidential candidate François Berro.
Macron added that the country cannot be “static”, adding that he will announce a new prime minister in the coming days and that the government’s immediate focus will be the 2025 budget.
