"I will be president until the very last second: Macron firmly refuses to step down."

French President Emmanuel Macron in light of the government's resignation stated that he does not intend to leave his position. He mentioned that he will continue to fulfill his duties until the end of his second five-year term, which concludes in 2027. This means that Macron is not planning to step down for more than two additional years.

The French president made this announcement during his address to the citizens, as reported by Le Figaro. Macron also promised the French people to choose a new head of government.

"It has happened that I am here, before you, because I have been elected twice by the French people. I am extremely proud of this and until the last second, I will justify this trust with all the energy I have, to be useful to the country," said Macron.

The president also announced that he would reveal the name of the new Prime Minister in the coming days. Additionally, Macron accused "far-right and far-left political forces" of destructive politics. He stated that their aim is not to "create, but only to destroy."

"These deputies have decided to express a lack of confidence in the government because they are thinking about the presidential elections," added Macron.

Government Resignation in France

On December 4, the French parliament issued a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government. This decision was supported by 331 deputies out of 574. This marks the first occurrence since 1962.

The reason for the vote was the government's attempt to use special constitutional powers to push through part of an unpopular budget without a final vote in parliament. The budget included savings of 60 billion euros aimed at reducing the state deficit, which caused sharp dissatisfaction among deputies.

In the vote against the government, both far-right and left deputies united, viewing Barnier's actions as undemocratic and a violation of the principles of parliamentary consent. On December 5, Michel Barnier submitted his resignation to French President Emmanuel Macron.

Earlier, it was reported that Macron shook hands with Lavrov at the G20 summit in Brazil. Additionally, it should be noted that the president's party in France suffered a major defeat in the parliamentary elections.