"Embattled French PM Sebastien Lecornu insisted that France could 'draw the benefits from a crisis' as he presented his 2026 draft budget to the National Assembly on Tuesday. "We must learn to draw the benefits from a crisis. I accepted the mission entrusted to me by the President of the Republic because France must have a budget, because there are urgent measures to be taken without delay, it is a duty. I will fulfil it under certain conditions that obviously result from the composition of this Assembly," he said. Lecornu also attempted to shift blame away from the government, pointing to 'social, economic, financial... ecological, climatic, cultural [and] international' factors'. "To the usual crises, unpredictable ones are added, such as those of COVID or energy, not to mention wars," he added. Last week, Lecornu quit just hours after his new government was appointed, blaming political 'egos' and saying rival parties were all behaving as if they had a majority. He was reappointed by Macron on Friday and tasked with forming a new cabinet. He is the fifth PM appointed by Macron in just two years. The chaos has seen outrage across the political spectrum with those on the left and right of the divide demanding elections - and the resignation of Macron himself. The 2024 parliamentary elections saw a three-way split, with a left-wing bloc on 180 seats, Macron's centrists on 159 and National Rally on 142, with no party getting to the required 289 for a majority. "