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Ex-prime minister Philippe, a one-time supporter of Emmanuel Macron, has expressed his approval for premature presidential polls given the severity of the political crisis affecting the republic.

The statements by Philippe, a leading centre-right candidate to replace Emmanuel Macron, were made as the resigning premier, Sébastien Lecornu, started a last-ditch bid to rally cross-party endorsement for a administration to rescue France out of its growing political deadlock.

Urgency is critical, the former PM told a radio station. We are not going to prolong what we have been experiencing for the past several months. Another 18 months is far too long and it is damaging the country. The partisan struggle we are participating in today is distressing.

His comments were echoed by Jordan Bardella, the chief of the far-right National Rally (RN), who earlier this week stated he, too, supported firstly a ending the current assembly, followed by legislative polls or premature presidential voting.

Macron has requested Sébastien Lecornu, who stepped down on Monday morning less than four weeks after he was named and half a day after his fresh government was unveiled, to remain for 48 hours to try to save the cabinet and plan a path forward from the situation.

Emmanuel Macron has said he is ready to assume his responsibilities in case of failure, officials at the Elysée have told the press, a comment widely interpreted as implying he would announce snap parliamentary elections.

Increasing Discontent Among Macron's Supporters

Indications also emerged of increasing dissent within his supporters, with Gabriel Attal, an ex-premier, who chairs the president's centrist party, saying on the start of the week he could not comprehend his actions and it was time to try something else.

The outgoing PM, who quit after opposition parties and partners too criticized his government for lacking enough of a change from previous line-ups, was meeting group heads from 9am local time at his office in an effort to overcome the stalemate.

Background of the Political Struggle

The French Republic has been in a national instability for over 12 months since Emmanuel Macron announced a snap election in the previous year that produced a deadlocked assembly separated into three roughly comparable factions: socialist groups, right-wing and Macron's own centre-right alliance, with no clear majority.

Sébastien Lecornu was named the briefest-serving premier in recent times when he stepped down, the republic's fifth prime minister since the president's 2022 victory and the third since the parliamentary dissolution of last year.

Future Elections and Economic Issues

All parties are staking out their stances before elections for president due in the coming years that are anticipated to be a critical juncture in the nation's governance, with the far-right RN under Marine Le Pen anticipating its best chance yet of taking power.

Additionally, developing against a growing economic turmoil. The nation's national debt level is the European Union's third highest after Greece and Italy, approximately two times the ceiling allowed under EU guidelines – as is its expected budget deficit of around 6%.