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The French leader has asked his former prime minister to return as head of government only four days after he stepped down, sparking a week of high drama and crisis.

The president made the announcement towards the end of the week, shortly after meeting key political groups together at the Élysée Palace, excluding the figures of the political extremes.

His reappointment came as a surprise, as he said on broadcast only two days ago that he was not seeking the position and his task was complete.

There is uncertainty whether he will be able to establish a ruling coalition, but he will have to act quickly. Lecornu faces a time limit on Monday to present the annual budget before the National Assembly.

Leadership Hurdles and Budgetary Strains

The presidency announced the president had given him the duty of creating a administration, and his advisors implied he had been given “carte blanche” to make decisions.

Lecornu, who is one of a trusted associate, then issued a long statement on X in which he accepted as an obligation the task entrusted to me by the president, to make every effort to provide France with a budget by the end of the year and tackle the common issues of our compatriots.

Partisan conflicts over how to bring down government borrowing and cut the budget deficit have resulted in the resignation of two of the past three prime ministers in the recent period, so his task is enormous.

France's public debt recently was nearly 114 percent of economic output (GDP) – the third largest in the currency union – and this year's budget deficit is expected to amount to 5.4 percent of the economy.

Lecornu stated that “no-one will be able to shirk” the imperative of restoring government accounts. With only 18 months before the completion of his mandate, he warned that anyone joining his government would have to put on hold their presidential ambitions.

Governing Without a Majority

What makes it even harder for Lecornu is that he will face a vote of confidence in a National Assembly where the president has is short of votes to support him. His public standing hit a record low in the latest survey, according to a survey that put his approval rating on 14%.

The far-right leader of the right-wing group, which was not invited of Macron's talks with faction heads on the end of the week, commented that the decision, by a president “more than ever isolated and disconnected” at the Élysée, is a poor decision.

His party would immediately bring a motion of censure against a doomed coalition, whose only reason for being was dreading polls, Bardella added.

Seeking Support

Lecornu at least knows the pitfalls he faces as he tries to build a coalition, because he has already devoted 48 hours this week talking to factions that might support him.

By themselves, the moderate factions lack a majority, and there are splits within the conservative Republicans who have helped prop up the ruling coalition since he lost his majority in the previous vote.

So he will seek socialist factions for possible backing.

In an attempt to court the left, officials suggested the president was evaluating a pause to part of his divisive social security adjustments implemented recently which increased the pension age from the early sixties.

It was insufficient of what progressive chiefs wanted, as they were hoping he would appoint a leader from the left. The Socialist leader of the Socialists said “since we've not been given any guarantees, we won't give any guarantee” in a vote of confidence.

Fabien Roussel from the Communists said after meeting the president that the progressive camp wanted genuine reform, and a prime minister from the central bloc would not be supported by the public.

Environmental party head Marine Tondelier expressed shock Macron had provided few concessions to the left, adding that “all of this is going to turn out very badly”.