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The French leader has called upon his former prime minister to resume duties as French prime minister just days after he left the post, causing a period of high drama and crisis.

The president stated towards the end of the week, hours after consulting with key political groups together at the Élysée Palace, excluding the leaders of the far right and far left.

The decision to reinstate him shocked many, as he said on broadcast only two days ago that he was not interested in returning and his task was complete.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to assemble a cabinet, but he will have to hit the ground running. The new prime minister faces a cut-off on Monday to present the annual budget before lawmakers.

Political Challenges and Fiscal Demands

The presidency confirmed the president had “tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government”, and those close to the president indicated he had been given full authority to make decisions.

The prime minister, who is one of Macron's closest allies, then issued a long statement on an online platform in which he accepted as an obligation the task entrusted to me by the president, to do everything to provide France with a budget by the end of the year and address the common issues of our countrymen.

Partisan conflicts over how to bring down the country's public debt and balance the books have resulted in the fall of multiple premiers in the recent period, so his mission is daunting.

Government liabilities in the past months was almost 114% of gross domestic product – the third largest in the euro area – and the annual fiscal gap is estimated to hit 5.4 percent of the economy.

The premier said that no one can avoid the necessity of fixing the nation's budget. In just a year and a half before the completion of his mandate, he cautioned that those in the cabinet would have to set aside their political goals.

Ruling Amid Division

Compounding the challenge for the prime minister is that he will face a vote of confidence in a legislative body where Macron has is short of votes to back him. His public standing hit a record low recently, according to an Elabe poll that put his support level on just 14%.

Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally, which was left out of Macron's talks with faction heads on the end of the week, commented that Lecornu's reappointment, by a president increasingly isolated at the official residence, is a “bad joke”.

His party would immediately bring a motion of censure against a failing government, whose sole purpose was dreading polls, Bardella added.

Building Alliances

Lecornu at least understands the obstacles he faces as he tries to form a government, because he has already spent two days this week consulting political groups that might support him.

On their own, the centrist parties lack a majority, and there are divisions within the right-leaning party who have helped prop up the ruling coalition since he lacked support in recent polls.

So he will seek progressive groups for future alliances.

To gain leftist support, officials hinted the president was considering a delay to part of his divisive social security adjustments enacted last year which extended working life from 62 up to 64.

That fell short of what progressive chiefs desired, as they were hoping he would choose a leader from their camp. The Socialist leader of the leftist party stated “since we've not been given any guarantees, we won't give any guarantee” to back the prime minister.

The Communist figure from the left-wing party said after meeting the president that the left wanted genuine reform, and a premier from the moderate faction would not be endorsed by the citizens.

Environmental party head Marine Tondelier remarked she was surprised the president had provided few concessions to the left, adding that outcomes would be negative.