France’s finance minister, Bruno Le Maire, has announced he may not remain in his role following the snap legislative elections that have sparked political uncertainty in the country over the next government.

“I’ve always accepted that things can stop suddenly, that’s part of politics. My political future will be written differently. You have to know how to move forward. The most important thing is the feeling of duty accomplished,” Le Maire said in Le Figaro.

President Emmanuel Macron's decision to call snap elections following a devastating loss in last weekend's European Parliament poll raises the possibility of a significantly different government emerging as a result, Bloomberg reports.

With Marine Le Pen’s National Rally gaining momentum in the polls, the president’s party may no longer hold the majority in the National Assembly. Macron announced on Wednesday that he would appoint a new prime minister who would reflect the political groups chosen in the legislative ballot.

Le Maire has been finance minister throughout Macron’s presidency, leading significant pro-business reforms such as corporate tax cuts and revitalising industrial policy through public investments in emerging sectors. He has also been outspoken in advocating for a more assertive trade policy towards both China and the US.

Furthermore, in an interview on Sud Radio on Thursday, Le Maire vowed to “fight like a lion” in the election campaign, despite not seeking a seat in the new parliament himself. He has previously cautioned that France could face a debt crisis if the far right were to assume power and implement its policies.

When questioned during the interview what he would do should he no longer be the country’s finance minister, Le Maire commented: “At a moment when France is in such a grave situation, it doesn’t even begin to matter in the slightest.”

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