France, Oct. 8 -- France's outgoing Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, on Wednesday made a last-ditch bid to unite rival parties and pull his collapsed government out of political deadlock- hoping to agree on a budget and head off the threat of a snap election.

Speaking outside Matignon, the prime minister's office, shortly before he began a day of talks with rival parties, Lecornu said the possibility of a dissolution of parliament was "more remote" because parties across the spectrum had shown "a desire to have a budget for France before 31 December".

President Emmanuel Macron, facing the worst domestic political crisis of his presidency, asked Lecornu to stay on as caretaker and try to forge a compromise that could stabilise the gove...