FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron hosted former presidents Nicolas Sarkozy and Francois Hollande today as he continues to stall on naming a new prime minister.

Mr Macron is refusing to name a prime minister from left-wing coalition the New Popular Front, which topped the poll in the July 7 National Assembly elections.

The president is reportedly leaning towards appointing Bernard Cazeneuve, a former leading Socialist who headed the government in the final months of Mr Hollande’s 2012-17 presidential term.

Mr Cazeneuve was also reportedly set to meet President Macron today. 

Sources close to Mr Cazeneuve insist that he was “not asking (for the job of prime minister) but would do it out of duty” if called upon.

They added that Mr Cazeneuve was “a responsible man of the left who would take into account the political, but also the economic situation of the country.”

The NPF insists that it has a right to form a government and has nominated senior civil servant Lucie Castets for the role of prime minister.

But Mr Macron, whose neoliberal coalition came second ahead of the far-right National Rally, has dismissed the idea of appointing Ms Castets.

The president says he has a constitutional duty to ensure “institutional stability,” and used that as an excuse not to appoint the left-wing candidate.

Critics of the president claim Mr Macron is attempting to prevent the next government reversing controversial reforms he has introduced. 

President Macron used the staging of the Paris Olympics as an excuse for putting off naming a new prime minister over the summer break.