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President Emmanuel Macron has asked Sébastien Lecornu to come back as head of government just days after he resigned, triggering a week of intense uncertainty and political turmoil.

The president made the announcement on Friday evening, hours after gathering leading factions collectively at the presidential palace, excluding the representatives of the political extremes.

His reappointment came as a surprise, as he declared on television just 48 hours prior that he was not interested in returning and his “mission is over”.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to assemble a cabinet, but he will have to act quickly. Lecornu faces a time limit on Monday to put next year's budget before lawmakers.

Political Challenges and Fiscal Demands

Officials announced the president had “tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government”, and his advisors suggested he had been given “carte blanche” to make decisions.

Lecornu, who is one of the president's key supporters, then issued a comprehensive announcement on social media in which he agreed to take on “out of duty” the task assigned by the president, to make every effort to secure a national budget by the year's conclusion and respond to the everyday problems of our fellow citizens.

Ideological disagreements over how to bring down government borrowing and cut the budget deficit have resulted in the fall of several leaders in the recent period, so his mission is enormous.

The nation's debt recently was nearly 114 percent of economic output (GDP) – the number three in the euro area – and current shortfall is projected to reach 5.4% of the economy.

Lecornu said that no one can avoid the need of restoring the nation's budget. Given the limited time before the end of Macron's presidency, he advised that those in the cabinet would have to set aside their political goals.

Governing Without a Majority

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 endorse his government. His public standing hit a record low recently, according to an Elabe poll that put his approval rating on just 14%.

The far-right leader of the National Rally party, which was left out of consultations with political chiefs on the end of the week, commented that the decision, by a president increasingly isolated at the Élysée, is a misstep.

They would immediately bring a vote of no confidence against a struggling administration, whose sole purpose was fear of an election, Bardella added.

Seeking Support

Lecornu at least knows the pitfalls ahead as he tries to form a government, because he has already devoted 48 hours lately meeting with political groups that might join his government.

By themselves, the centrist parties cannot form a government, and there are splits within the conservative Republicans who have supported the administration since he failed to secure enough seats in elections last year.

So Lecornu will look to socialist factions for possible backing.

In an attempt to court the left, Macron's team hinted the president was evaluating a pause to part of his controversial social security adjustments enacted last year which extended working life from the early sixties.

The offer was inadequate of what left-wing leaders wanted, as they were hoping he would choose a leader from their camp. The Socialist leader of the Socialists commented lacking commitments, they would withhold backing for the premier.

The Communist figure from the left-wing party commented post-consultation that the left wanted genuine reform, and a premier from the moderate faction would not be supported by the citizens.

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