PARIS, Oct. 8 (Xinhua) -- Outgoing French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Wednesday underlined in a statement the "will" among political forces to have a budget "before December 31."

Lecornu made the remarks as President Emmanuel Macron gave him until Wednesday evening to conduct "final negotiations" on the formation of a new government.

He reiterated that "the public deficit target must be kept below 5 percent" in the next budget, specifying a range of "between 4.7 percent and 5 percent on a final basis."

He met centrist and right-wing politicians on Tuesday and will continue his consultations on Wednesday with representatives of left-wing parties.

Lecornu, appointed early last month, quit Monday, a day after unveiling a cabinet lineup that was nearly identical to its predecessor and drew sharp criticism across the political spectrum. Enditem