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The French leader has requested Sébastien Lecornu to return as French prime minister only four days after he left the post, causing a period of intense uncertainty and instability.

Macron declared late on Friday, shortly after consulting with leading factions collectively at the presidential palace, excluding the leaders of the extremist parties.

The decision to reinstate him came as a surprise, as he declared on television recently that he was not “chasing the job” and his “mission is over”.

It is not even certain whether he will be able to assemble a cabinet, but he will have to act quickly. He faces a deadline on the start of the week to put next year's budget before lawmakers.

Leadership Hurdles and Economic Pressures

Officials confirmed the president had assigned him to build a cabinet, and his advisors indicated he had been given full authority to make decisions.

Lecornu, who is one of a trusted associate, then published a detailed message on X in which he agreed to take on responsibly the task entrusted to me by the president, to do everything to finalize financial plans by the end of the year and respond to the common issues of our fellow citizens.

Ideological disagreements over how to bring down government borrowing and reduce the fiscal shortfall have led to the ouster of two of the past three prime ministers in the recent period, so his mission is daunting.

The nation's debt earlier this year was nearly 114 percent of gross domestic product – the number three in the eurozone – and current shortfall is projected to amount to 5.4 percent of the economy.

Lecornu emphasized that no one can avoid the necessity of restoring France's public finances. With only 18 months before the end of Macron's presidency, he advised that those in the cabinet would have to delay their political goals.

Leading Without Support

Adding to the difficulty for Lecornu is that he will face a parliamentary test in a National Assembly where the president has no majority to back him. Macron's approval reached its lowest point in the latest survey, according to an Elabe poll that put his public backing on 14%.

The far-right leader of the National Rally party, which was left out of Macron's talks with faction heads on Friday, remarked that the prime minister's return, by a president “more than ever isolated and disconnected” at the Élysée, is a “bad joke”.

They would quickly propose a motion of censure against a struggling administration, whose main motivation was dreading polls, Bardella added.

Forming Coalitions

Lecornu at least knows the pitfalls he faces as he tries to establish a cabinet, because he has already devoted 48 hours this week consulting parties that might participate in his administration.

Alone, the centrist parties cannot form a government, and there are divisions within the right-leaning party who have helped prop up the ruling coalition since he failed to secure enough seats in recent polls.

So he will look to left-wing parties for future alliances.

In an attempt to court the left, Macron's team indicated the president was considering a delay to part of his divisive social security adjustments passed in 2023 which extended working life from 62 up to 64.

It was insufficient of what progressive chiefs hoped for, as they were hoping he would select a leader from their side. Olivier Faure of the Socialists stated without assurances, they would offer no support in a vote of confidence.

Fabien Roussel from the left-wing party commented post-consultation that the progressive camp wanted substantive shifts, and a prime minister from the moderate faction would not be endorsed by the French people.

Environmental party head the Green figure said she was “stunned” the president had offered the left almost nothing to the progressives, adding that “all of this is going to turn out very badly”.