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The French leader has asked Sébastien Lecornu to resume duties as French prime minister just days after he left the post, causing a week of intense uncertainty and instability.

The president stated towards the end of the week, hours after consulting with key political groups collectively at the presidential palace, omitting the figures of the far right and far left.

Lecornu's return came as a surprise, as he stated on television only two days ago that he was not interested in returning and his task was complete.

There is uncertainty whether he will be able to establish a ruling coalition, but he will have to start immediately. He faces a deadline on Monday to put next year's budget before parliament.

Governing Obstacles and Fiscal Demands

Officials said the president had assigned him to build a cabinet, and Macron's entourage indicated he had been given “carte blanche” to proceed.

The prime minister, who is one of the president's key supporters, then issued a long statement on an online platform in which he consented to “out of duty” the task assigned by the president, to strive to secure a national budget by the end of the year and address the daily concerns of our compatriots.

Ideological disagreements over how to reduce France's national debt and balance the books have resulted in the resignation of several leaders in the last year, so his task is daunting.

France's public debt earlier this year was nearly 114 percent of gross domestic product – the third highest in the euro area – and the annual fiscal gap is expected to reach 5.4% of economic output.

Lecornu emphasized that everyone must contribute the necessity of restoring France's public finances. With only 18 months before the completion of his mandate, he cautioned that anyone joining his government would have to set aside their aspirations for higher office.

Leading Without Support

Compounding the challenge for Lecornu is that he will face a show of support in a legislative body where the president has is short of votes to back him. His public standing plummeted this week, according to a survey that put his approval rating on 14%.

Jordan Bardella of the right-wing group, which was not invited of consultations with faction heads on Friday, commented that the prime minister's return, by a president out of touch at the Élysée, is a poor decision.

They would immediately bring a motion of censure against a doomed coalition, whose only reason for being was avoiding a vote, Bardella added.

Building Alliances

Lecornu at least knows the pitfalls ahead as he tries to build a coalition, because he has already devoted 48 hours lately talking to parties that might support him.

By themselves, the centrist parties are insufficient, and there are divisions within the right-leaning party who have supported the administration since he lost his majority in recent polls.

So Lecornu will seek socialist factions for possible backing.

As a gesture to progressives, the president's advisors indicated the president was evaluating a pause to some aspects of his highly contentious retirement changes passed in 2023 which increased the pension age from 62 to 64.

That fell short of what left-wing leaders hoped for, as they were expecting he would appoint a premier from the left. Olivier Faure of the leftist party commented lacking commitments, they would withhold backing for the premier.

Fabien Roussel from the Communists 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 French people.

Environmental party head the Green figure said she was “stunned” Macron had offered the left almost nothing to the progressives, adding that the situation would deteriorate.