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The French leader has asked his former prime minister to come back as head of government only four days after he stepped down, triggering a stretch of political upheaval and instability.

The president made the announcement late on Friday, following consulting with all the main parties in one place at the official residence, excluding the leaders of the extremist parties.

Lecornu's return shocked many, as he declared on national TV only two days ago that he was not interested in returning and his role had concluded.

There is uncertainty whether he will be able to form a government, but he will have to start immediately. He faces a time limit on the start of the week to submit financial plans before parliament.

Governing Obstacles and Economic Pressures

Officials confirmed the president had assigned him to build a cabinet, and those close to the president indicated he had been given “carte blanche” to act.

The prime minister, who is one of the president's key supporters, then published a long statement on X in which he accepted as an obligation the task given to him by the president, to do everything to finalize financial plans by the December and respond to the common issues of our compatriots.

Political divisions over how to bring down government borrowing and balance the books have led to the resignation of several leaders in the past twelve months, so his challenge is enormous.

The nation's debt recently was close to 114% of national income – the third largest in the eurozone – and this year's budget deficit is estimated to amount to 5.4 percent of GDP.

Lecornu said that everyone must contribute the need of fixing government accounts. In just a year and a half before the end of Macron's presidency, he cautioned that anyone joining his government would have to put on hold their political goals.

Leading Without Support

Compounding the challenge for the prime minister is that he will face a show of support in a National Assembly where the president has is short of votes to back him. His public standing plummeted this week, according to an Elabe poll that put his support level on 14%.

Jordan Bardella of the right-wing group, which was excluded of consultations with faction heads on Friday, commented that Lecornu's reappointment, by a president increasingly isolated at the presidential palace, is a poor decision.

The National Rally would promptly introduce a motion of censure against a doomed coalition, whose only reason for being was avoiding a vote, Bardella added.

Forming Coalitions

The prime minister at least knows the pitfalls he faces as he tries to build a coalition, because he has already devoted 48 hours this week consulting political groups that might participate in his administration.

On their own, the moderate factions lack a majority, and there are disagreements within the right-leaning party who have supported the ruling coalition since he lacked support in recent polls.

So Lecornu will seek progressive groups for future alliances.

In an attempt to court the left, the president's advisors indicated the president was evaluating a pause to part of his highly contentious retirement changes passed in 2023 which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.

It was insufficient of what socialist figures desired, as they were expecting he would appoint a prime minister from the left. The Socialist leader of the leftist party commented “since we've not been given any guarantees, we won't give any guarantee” to back the prime minister.

Fabien Roussel from the Communists said after meeting the president that the progressive camp wanted substantive shifts, and a premier from the moderate faction would not be supported by the French people.

Greens leader Marine Tondelier remarked she was surprised Macron had offered the left almost nothing to the left, adding that outcomes would be negative.