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President Emmanuel Macron has requested Sébastien Lecornu to come back as head of government a mere four days after he resigned, causing a period of political upheaval and crisis.

The president declared on Friday evening, shortly after gathering all the main parties collectively at the official residence, except for the representatives of the far right and far left.

His reappointment shocked many, as he said on broadcast only two days ago that he was not seeking the position and his task was complete.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to establish a ruling coalition, but he will have to act quickly. He faces a cut-off on the start of the week to submit financial plans before lawmakers.

Governing Obstacles and Economic Pressures

Officials said the president had assigned him to build a cabinet, and his advisors suggested he had been given full authority to proceed.

The prime minister, who is one of the president's key supporters, then published a comprehensive announcement on social media in which he agreed to take on “out of duty” the assignment given to him by the president, to make every effort to secure a national budget by the December and address the daily concerns of our countrymen.

Ideological disagreements over how to reduce the country's public debt and balance the books have caused the fall of multiple premiers in the recent period, so his task is immense.

The nation's debt earlier this year was almost 114% of national income – the third largest in the currency union – and the annual fiscal gap is expected to hit 5.4 percent of economic output.

Lecornu stated that no one can avoid the imperative of repairing the nation's budget. With only 18 months before the completion of his mandate, he warned that those in the cabinet would have to delay their presidential ambitions.

Leading Without Support

Compounding the challenge for Lecornu is that he will face a show of support in a National Assembly where the president has lacks sufficient support to support him. Macron's approval reached its lowest point this week, according to a survey that put his public backing on just 14%.

The far-right leader of the National Rally party, which was left out of consultations with political chiefs on Friday, commented that Lecornu's reappointment, by a president out of touch at the Élysée, is a “bad joke”.

His party would immediately bring a vote of no confidence against a doomed coalition, whose main motivation was dreading polls, he continued.

Seeking Support

Lecornu at least is aware of the challenges in his path as he tries to establish a cabinet, because he has already devoted 48 hours this week meeting with political groups that might support him.

Alone, the moderate factions lack a majority, and there are divisions within the traditionalists who have supported the ruling coalition since he failed to secure enough seats in the previous vote.

So he will seek progressive groups for future alliances.

In an attempt to court the left, officials indicated the president was evaluating a pause to some aspects of his divisive social security adjustments passed in 2023 which increased the pension age from 62 up to 64.

That fell short of what progressive chiefs wanted, as they were hoping he would choose a premier from the left. Olivier Faure of the leftist party stated lacking commitments, they would withhold backing to back the prime minister.

Fabien Roussel from the left-wing party said after meeting the president that the left wanted genuine reform, and a leader from the president's centrist camp would not be endorsed by the citizens.

Environmental party head Marine Tondelier expressed shock Macron had offered the left almost nothing to the progressives, adding that outcomes would be negative.