Figures from France’s statistics agency INSEE show that Lecornu now faces a debt that amounted to 115.6% of France’s gross domestic product in the second quarter. The debt is up from 3.3 trillion euros in March, which was equivalent to 113.9% of GDP.
Lecornu has yet to form a new government and must deliver a budget proposal to parliament by mid-October.
Unions have announced fresh demonstrations for 2 October after hundreds of thousands of people protested across France last week over Macron’s austerity plans.
Lecornu, Macron’s seventh head of government since 2017, has vowed a break from the past in a bid to defuse the political crisis. He has tried to calm anger by promising to abolish life-long privileges for former prime ministers and Bayrou’s plan to scrap two public holidays.
Bayrou had proposed a series of measures he said would save 44 billion euros to curb France’s high debt.
(vib)