France Holds Its Breath Over Last-Ditch Talks for a Government Deal NYT | Top Stories Aurelien Breeden 8 October 2025 at 23:55 Sébastien Lecornu, the country’s outgoing prime minister, said he believed France’s political parties could overcome divisions and avoid snap legislative elections. © Stephanie Lecocq/ReutersFrance’s outgoing prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu.