French left-wing political leaders left a meeting with President Emmanuel Macron disappointed Friday, just hours before he was set to appoint a premier to pull the country out of crisis.

French politics has been deadlocked ever since Macron gambled last year on snap polls that he hoped would consolidate power — but ended instead in a hung parliament and more seats for the far right.

Both allies and the opposition had been hoping for a fresh face in government to help end months of paralysis over an austerity budget, but signs seemed to point to Macron reappointing the same premier who resigned at the start of the week.

Macron’s office said he would pick a name by Friday evening after his seventh prime minister Sebastien Lecornu, 39, threw in the towel on Monday.

The centrist president,

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