French President Emmanuel Macron raced Wednesday to meet a self-imposed 48-hour deadline to name a new prime minister after he hosted party bosses in a bid to hammer out a consensus and avoid a protracted political crisis.

Following the ouster of the government of Michel Barnier in a historic no-confidence vote last week, Macron on Tuesday gathered leaders from across the political spectrum in a bid to form a "government of national interest".

The bosses of the far-right National Rally (RN) and hard-left France Unbowed (LFI), who joined forces to oust Barnier, were not invited.

Macron is under huge pressure to cobble together a broad alliance and form a government that can survive a no-confidence vote and pass a budget for next year in a bid to limit political and economic turmoil.

Macron, who is set to travel to Poland on Thursday, aimed to name a new prime minister "within 48 hours", said the party chiefs who had met him Tuesday.

Several people close to the president said the announcement could come as........

© International Business Times