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President Emmanuel Macron has called upon Sébastien Lecornu to resume duties as the nation's premier only four days after he left the post, causing a week of high drama and instability.

The president made the announcement on Friday evening, hours after meeting all the main parties together at the presidential palace, except for the representatives of the far right and far left.

His reappointment came as a surprise, as he said on television recently that he was not “chasing the job” and his role had concluded.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to form a government, but he will have to start immediately. Lecornu faces a deadline on Monday to submit financial plans before parliament.

Governing Obstacles and Fiscal Demands

The Élysée confirmed the president had “tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government”, and those close to the president suggested he had been given full authority to make decisions.

The prime minister, who is one of the president's key supporters, then published a long statement on an online platform in which he consented to responsibly the assignment entrusted to me by the president, to do everything to secure a national budget by the December and respond to the everyday problems of our fellow citizens.

Partisan conflicts over how to bring down the country's public debt and balance the books have led to the ouster of multiple premiers in the recent period, so his mission is immense.

The nation's debt earlier this year was nearly 114 percent of national income – the third largest in the eurozone – and this year's budget deficit is expected to reach 5.4% of GDP.

Lecornu said that “no-one will be able to shirk” the imperative of restoring government accounts. Given the limited time before the conclusion of his term, he cautioned that those in the cabinet would have to delay their presidential ambitions.

Governing Without a Majority

What makes it even harder for Lecornu is that he will face a show of support in a legislative body where Macron has lacks sufficient support to back him. His public standing reached its lowest point recently, according to a survey that put his public backing on 14%.

The far-right leader of the National Rally party, which was excluded of consultations with political chiefs on Friday, said that the prime minister's return, by a president “more than ever isolated and disconnected” at the presidential palace, is a poor decision.

They would quickly propose a challenge against a doomed coalition, whose main motivation 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 meeting with political groups that might join his government.

Alone, the central groups are insufficient, and there are splits within the right-leaning party who have assisted the administration since he lost his majority in elections last year.

So he will seek left-wing parties for potential support.

To gain leftist support, officials hinted the president was thinking of postponing to portions of his highly contentious retirement changes implemented recently which increased the pension age from the early sixties.

That fell short of what socialist figures wanted, as they were hoping he would appoint a leader from their camp. Olivier Faure of the leftist party stated without assurances, they would offer no support to back the prime minister.

Fabien Roussel from the left-wing party commented post-consultation that the left wanted substantive shifts, and a prime minister from the central bloc would not be endorsed by the public.

Environmental party head Marine Tondelier said she was “stunned” Macron had provided few concessions to the progressives, adding that outcomes would be negative.