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The French leader has requested his former prime minister to return as French prime minister just days after he resigned, sparking a week of intense uncertainty and instability.

The president declared on Friday evening, hours after consulting with all the main parties collectively at the presidential palace, excluding the figures of the extremist parties.

The decision to reinstate him shocked many, as he said on television only two days ago that he was not “chasing the job” and his “mission is over”.

There is uncertainty whether he will be able to assemble a cabinet, but he will have to start immediately. The new prime minister faces a deadline on the start of the week to present the annual budget before lawmakers.

Governing Obstacles and Economic Pressures

The Élysée announced the president had “tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government”, and Macron's entourage suggested he had been given complete freedom to act.

Lecornu, who is one of the president's key supporters, then released a comprehensive announcement on X in which he agreed to take on as an obligation the mission assigned by the president, to make every effort to provide France with a budget by the December and respond to the everyday problems of our countrymen.

Ideological disagreements over how to lower France's national debt and cut the budget deficit have led to the fall of two of the past three prime ministers in the recent period, so his task is enormous.

France's public debt recently was close to 114% of economic output (GDP) – the third largest in the euro area – and this year's budget deficit is projected to hit over five percent of economic output.

The premier stated that “no-one will be able to shirk” the need of repairing France's public finances. With only 18 months before the end of Macron's presidency, he warned that anyone joining his government would have to delay their aspirations for higher office.

Governing Without a Majority

Compounding the challenge for Lecornu is that he will face a parliamentary test in a legislative body where Macron has lacks sufficient support to back him. Macron's approval plummeted recently, according to research that put his support level on 14 percent.

Jordan Bardella of the right-wing group, which was excluded of the president's discussions with political chiefs on Friday, said that Lecornu's reappointment, by a president out of touch at the presidential palace, is a poor decision.

His party would promptly introduce a challenge against a struggling administration, whose sole purpose was dreading polls, the leader stated.

Building Alliances

Lecornu at least understands the obstacles in his path as he tries to build a coalition, because he has already used time recently talking to factions that might participate in his administration.

By themselves, the moderate factions lack a majority, and there are disagreements within the right-leaning party who have helped prop up the administration since he failed to secure enough seats in recent polls.

So he will look to progressive groups for possible backing.

As a gesture to progressives, Macron's team hinted the president was considering a delay to part of his highly contentious pension reforms enacted last year which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.

The offer was inadequate of what socialist figures desired, as they were anticipating he would select a prime minister from the left. The Socialist leader of the leftist party said without assurances, they would offer no support to back the prime minister.

Fabien Roussel from the left-wing party said after meeting the president that the progressive camp wanted substantive shifts, and a leader from the central bloc would not be supported by the citizens.

Greens leader the Green figure said she was “stunned” the president had offered the left almost nothing to the progressives, adding that “all of this is going to turn out very badly”.