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President Emmanuel Macron has called upon Sébastien Lecornu to return as head of government only four days after he left the post, triggering a period of intense uncertainty and crisis.

The president stated towards the end of the week, shortly after gathering all the main parties in one place at the presidential palace, except for the figures of the political extremes.

Lecornu's return shocked many, as he declared on national TV just 48 hours prior that he was not seeking the position and his “mission is over”.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to assemble a cabinet, but he will have to start immediately. The new prime minister faces a cut-off on the start of the week to put next year's budget before lawmakers.

Governing Obstacles and Fiscal Demands

The presidency confirmed the president had “tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government”, and his advisors indicated he had been given complete freedom to make decisions.

The prime minister, who is one of a trusted associate, then published a long statement on an online platform in which he agreed to take on as an obligation the task given to him by the president, to do everything to finalize financial plans by the year's conclusion and respond to the everyday problems of our compatriots.

Ideological disagreements over how to lower the country's public debt and cut the budget deficit have resulted in the fall of two of the past three prime ministers in the last year, so his challenge is daunting.

The nation's debt recently was close to 114% of national income – the third largest in the eurozone – and current shortfall is expected to amount to 5.4 percent of GDP.

The premier emphasized that “no-one will be able to shirk” the necessity of repairing government accounts. In just a year and a half before the end of Macron's presidency, he cautioned that prospective ministers would have to delay their presidential ambitions.

Governing Without a Majority

What makes it even harder for Lecornu is that he will face a parliamentary test in a legislative body where the president has no majority to back him. The president's popularity reached its lowest point in the latest survey, according to research that put his support level on 14 percent.

The far-right leader of the right-wing group, which was not invited of the president's discussions with political chiefs on the end of the week, said that the prime minister's return, by a president “more than ever isolated and disconnected” at the Élysée, is a misstep.

His party would quickly propose a motion of censure against a failing government, whose main motivation was dreading polls, Bardella added.

Building Alliances

Lecornu at least understands the obstacles ahead as he tries to build a coalition, because he has already spent two days lately meeting with political groups that might support him.

Alone, the moderate factions are insufficient, and there are divisions within the conservative Republicans who have assisted the administration since he lacked support in recent polls.

So Lecornu will look to socialist factions for possible backing.

In an attempt to court the left, the president's advisors hinted the president was evaluating a pause to some aspects of his highly contentious social security adjustments passed in 2023 which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.

It was insufficient of what progressive chiefs desired, as they were anticipating he would select a prime minister from the left. Olivier Faure of the Socialists stated “since we've not been given any guarantees, we won't give any guarantee” in a vote of confidence.

The Communist figure from the left-wing party stated following discussions that the left wanted substantive shifts, and a premier from the moderate faction would not be accepted by the citizens.

Greens leader Marine Tondelier said she was “stunned” the president had provided few concessions to the left, adding that the situation would deteriorate.