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The French leader has requested his former prime minister to resume duties as French prime minister just days after he stepped down, sparking a stretch of intense uncertainty and political turmoil.

Macron declared towards the end of the week, hours after gathering leading factions in one place at the official residence, excluding the leaders of the political extremes.

The decision to reinstate him 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 assemble a cabinet, but he will have to start immediately. The new prime minister faces a cut-off on the start of the week to present the annual budget before lawmakers.

Governing Obstacles and Budgetary Strains

The Élysée said the president had assigned him to build a cabinet, and those close to the president suggested he had been given complete freedom to proceed.

Lecornu, who is one of the president's key supporters, then issued a detailed message on X in which he accepted “out of duty” the mission given to him by the president, to make every effort to secure a national budget by the year's conclusion and address the daily concerns of our compatriots.

Partisan conflicts over how to lower France's national debt and reduce the fiscal shortfall have led to the ouster of several leaders in the past twelve months, so his mission is daunting.

France's public debt earlier this year was close to 114% of gross domestic product – the number three in the eurozone – and the annual fiscal gap is estimated to amount to 5.4% of GDP.

Lecornu emphasized that everyone must contribute the necessity of fixing government accounts. In just a year and a half before the completion of his mandate, he warned that prospective ministers would have to delay their presidential ambitions.

Ruling Amid Division

What makes it even harder for the prime minister is that he will face a parliamentary test in a parliament where Macron has lacks sufficient support to support him. Macron's approval hit a record low in the latest survey, according to an Elabe poll that put his support level on 14%.

The far-right leader of the far-right National Rally, which was excluded of Macron's talks with political chiefs on Friday, commented that Lecornu's reappointment, by a president increasingly isolated at the Élysée, is a poor decision.

The National Rally would immediately bring a motion of censure against a failing government, whose sole purpose was fear of an election, he continued.

Building Alliances

The prime minister at least knows the pitfalls ahead as he tries to establish a cabinet, because he has already used time recently consulting parties that might support him.

By themselves, the centrist parties cannot form a government, and there are splits within the traditionalists who have supported the administration since he lacked support in elections last year.

So Lecornu will look to progressive groups for potential support.

As a gesture to progressives, officials hinted the president was evaluating a pause to some aspects of his controversial social security adjustments enacted last year which increased the pension age from 62 to 64.

The offer was inadequate of what progressive chiefs desired, as they were anticipating he would appoint a prime minister from their side. Olivier Faure of the Socialists stated “since we've not been given any guarantees, we won't give any guarantee” to back the prime minister.

The Communist figure from the left-wing party said after meeting the president that the left wanted substantive shifts, and a prime minister from the central bloc would not be supported by the public.

Greens leader Marine Tondelier said she was “stunned” Macron had provided few concessions to the left, adding that the situation would deteriorate.