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The French leader has asked Sébastien Lecornu to come back as the nation's premier only four days after he resigned, sparking a week of intense uncertainty and instability.

Macron declared on Friday evening, hours after consulting with all the main parties in one place at the presidential palace, excluding the leaders of the political extremes.

The decision to reinstate him came as a surprise, as he declared on television just 48 hours prior that he was not “chasing the job” and his task was complete.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to form a government, but he will have to hit the ground running. The new prime minister faces a deadline on Monday to put next year's budget before parliament.

Governing Obstacles and Fiscal Demands

The presidency said the president had “tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government”, and Macron's entourage suggested he had been given “carte blanche” to act.

Lecornu, who is one of a trusted associate, then released a long statement on an online platform in which he consented to responsibly the task given to him by the president, to strive to provide France with a budget by the year's conclusion and respond to the common issues of our compatriots.

Political divisions over how to lower government borrowing and reduce the fiscal shortfall have resulted in the ouster of several leaders in the last year, so his task is immense.

The nation's debt earlier this year was nearly 114 percent of national income – the third highest in the currency union – and current shortfall is estimated to hit 5.4% of economic output.

The premier emphasized that “no-one will be able to shirk” the imperative of repairing France's public finances. With only 18 months before the end of Macron's presidency, he warned that prospective ministers would have to put on hold their presidential ambitions.

Leading Without Support

Compounding the challenge for the prime minister is that he will face a parliamentary test in a legislative body where the president has is short of votes to back him. His public standing hit a record low in the latest survey, according to research that put his public backing on 14 percent.

The far-right leader of the far-right National Rally, which was not invited of Macron's talks with political chiefs on the end of the week, said that the prime minister's return, by a president increasingly isolated at the presidential palace, is a “bad joke”.

His party would promptly introduce a vote of no confidence against a failing government, whose sole purpose was fear of an election, Bardella added.

Building Alliances

The prime minister at least is aware of the challenges ahead as he tries to establish a cabinet, because he has already devoted 48 hours recently talking to parties that might support him.

By themselves, the centrist parties cannot form a government, and there are splits within the traditionalists who have helped prop up the ruling coalition since he lost his majority in the previous vote.

So Lecornu will seek progressive groups for possible backing.

To gain leftist support, the president's advisors indicated the president was considering a delay to some aspects of his controversial social security adjustments passed in 2023 which extended working life from 62 up to 64.

The offer was inadequate of what left-wing leaders wanted, as they were hoping he would choose a premier from their camp. Olivier Faure of the Socialists commented lacking commitments, they would withhold backing to back the prime minister.

Fabien Roussel from the Communists said after meeting the president that the progressive camp wanted genuine reform, and a prime minister from the moderate faction would not be endorsed by the citizens.

Environmental party head the Green figure remarked she was surprised the president had provided few concessions to the left, adding that the situation would deteriorate.