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The French leader has requested Sébastien Lecornu to come back as head of government a mere four days after he stepped down, causing a stretch of high drama and crisis.

The president declared on Friday evening, hours after consulting with all the main parties collectively at the Élysée Palace, except for the leaders of the political extremes.

The decision to reinstate him was unexpected, as he said on national TV recently that he was not “chasing the job” and his role had concluded.

It is not even certain whether he will be able to establish a ruling coalition, but he will have to hit the ground running. The new prime minister faces a time limit on the start of the week to present the annual budget before lawmakers.

Governing Obstacles and Fiscal Demands

The Élysée confirmed the president had given him the duty of creating a administration, and his advisors suggested he had been given “carte blanche” to act.

The prime minister, who is one of Macron's closest allies, then released a comprehensive announcement on an online platform in which he accepted as an obligation the assignment entrusted to me by the president, to strive to provide France with a budget by the year's conclusion and tackle the common issues of our fellow citizens.

Partisan conflicts over how to lower the country's public debt and reduce the fiscal shortfall have resulted in the fall of two of the past three prime ministers in the last year, so his task is daunting.

Government liabilities earlier this year was close to 114% of gross domestic product – the third highest in the currency union – and this year's budget deficit is projected to hit 5.4% of economic output.

The premier stated that “no-one will be able to shirk” the necessity of restoring the nation's budget. Given the limited time before the end of Macron's presidency, he warned that those in the cabinet would have to set aside their aspirations for higher office.

Governing Without a Majority

Compounding the challenge for the prime minister is that he will face a parliamentary test in a legislative body where the president has is short of votes to support him. His public standing hit a record low recently, according to a survey that put his support level on just 14%.

The far-right leader of the right-wing group, which was excluded of consultations with party leaders on Friday, commented that Lecornu's reappointment, by a president out of touch at the presidential palace, is a poor decision.

The National Rally would quickly propose a vote of no confidence against a doomed coalition, whose main motivation was fear of an election, he continued.

Building Alliances

The prime minister at least knows the pitfalls in his path as he tries to establish a cabinet, because he has already spent two days this week consulting factions that might participate in his administration.

Alone, the moderate factions cannot form a government, and there are divisions within the right-leaning party who have helped prop up the administration since he lacked support in recent polls.

So Lecornu will seek progressive groups for possible backing.

As a gesture to progressives, the president's advisors indicated the president was considering a delay to portions of his highly contentious social security adjustments implemented recently which extended working life from 62 to 64.

That fell short of what progressive chiefs desired, as they were anticipating he would choose a prime minister from the left. Olivier Faure of the leftist party stated without assurances, they would offer no support for the premier.

Fabien Roussel from the left-wing party stated following discussions that the progressive camp wanted real change, and a premier from the president's centrist camp would not be supported by the public.

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