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President Emmanuel Macron has asked Sébastien Lecornu to resume duties as the nation's premier just days after he stepped down, sparking a stretch of intense uncertainty and crisis.

The president made the announcement late on Friday, following consulting with all the main parties together at the official residence, omitting the representatives of the political extremes.

The decision to reinstate him shocked many, as he stated on broadcast only two days ago that he was not “chasing the job” and his task was complete.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to form a government, but he will have to hit the ground running. He faces a time limit on the start of the week to present the annual budget before the National Assembly.

Leadership Hurdles and Fiscal Demands

The Élysée announced the president had “tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government”, and those close to the president indicated he had been given full authority to act.

Lecornu, who is one of the president's key supporters, then issued a comprehensive announcement on X in which he accepted responsibly the task given to him by the president, to do everything to secure a national budget by the December and address the common issues of our countrymen.

Ideological disagreements over how to reduce France's national debt and cut the budget deficit have resulted in the resignation of two of the past three prime ministers in the past twelve months, so his challenge is immense.

Government liabilities in the past months was almost 114% of national income – the third largest in the euro area – and this year's budget deficit is projected to reach 5.4 percent of GDP.

The premier said that everyone must contribute the necessity of fixing government accounts. In just a year and a half before the completion of his mandate, he cautioned that those in the cabinet would have to put on hold their aspirations for higher office.

Ruling Amid Division

Adding to the difficulty for the prime minister is that he will face a parliamentary test in a parliament where Macron has is short of votes to support him. The president's popularity plummeted recently, according to research that put his public backing on just 14%.

Jordan Bardella of the National Rally party, which was left out of Macron's talks with faction heads on Friday, remarked that Lecornu's reappointment, by a president increasingly isolated at the presidential palace, is a “bad joke”.

They would promptly introduce a motion of censure against a failing government, whose only reason for being was avoiding a vote, he continued.

Seeking Support

Lecornu at least knows the pitfalls in his path as he tries to build a coalition, because he has already used time this week talking to parties that might join his government.

By themselves, the centrist parties are insufficient, and there are divisions within the traditionalists who have assisted the ruling coalition since he lost his majority in elections last year.

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

As a gesture to progressives, Macron's team indicated the president was thinking of postponing to portions of his divisive social security adjustments enacted last year which raised the retirement age from 62 up to 64.

That fell short of what socialist figures desired, as they were hoping he would choose a prime minister from their camp. Olivier Faure of the leftist party commented “since we've not been given any guarantees, we won't give any guarantee” in a vote of confidence.

Fabien Roussel from the left-wing party stated following discussions that the left wanted genuine reform, and a premier from the moderate faction would not be supported by the public.

Environmental party head Marine Tondelier expressed shock the president had given minimal offers to the left, adding that “all of this is going to turn out very badly”.