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President Emmanuel Macron has asked his former prime minister to come back as French prime minister only four days after he stepped down, causing a stretch of political upheaval and crisis.

The president declared late on Friday, shortly after gathering all the main parties in one place at the presidential palace, excluding the figures of the far right and far left.

His reappointment was unexpected, as he said on national TV just 48 hours prior that he was not interested in returning and his role had concluded.

There is uncertainty whether he will be able to form a government, but he will have to act quickly. He faces a deadline on the start of the week to put next year's budget before parliament.

Political Challenges and Budgetary Strains

Officials said the president had given him the duty of creating a administration, and Macron's entourage implied he had been given full authority to act.

The prime minister, who is one of the president's key supporters, then issued a detailed message on X in which he accepted as an obligation the mission entrusted to me by the president, to strive to secure a national budget by the December and tackle the everyday problems of our countrymen.

Partisan conflicts over how to lower France's national debt and reduce the fiscal shortfall have caused the fall of multiple premiers in the last year, so his challenge is enormous.

Government liabilities recently was almost 114% of economic output (GDP) – the third largest in the euro area – and this year's budget deficit is expected to hit 5.4% of GDP.

The premier stated that “no-one will be able to shirk” the necessity of restoring France's public finances. In just a year and a half before the end of Macron's presidency, he advised that those in the cabinet would have to put on hold their aspirations for higher office.

Ruling Amid Division

Compounding the challenge for Lecornu is that he will face a show of support in a legislative body where Macron has is short of votes to back him. The president's popularity hit a record low in the latest survey, according to an Elabe poll that put his support level on 14 percent.

The far-right leader of the National Rally party, which was not invited of Macron's talks with party leaders on Friday, remarked that the prime minister's return, by a president out of touch at the Élysée, is a “bad joke”.

His party would quickly propose a motion of censure 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 build a coalition, because he has already used time recently talking to political groups that might support him.

On their own, the centrist parties are insufficient, and there are divisions within the right-leaning party who have helped prop up Macron's governments since he failed to secure enough seats in elections last year.

So he will consider left-wing parties for potential support.

To gain leftist support, officials hinted the president was considering a delay to part of his controversial social security adjustments passed in 2023 which extended working life from 62 to 64.

That fell short of what left-wing leaders desired, as they were hoping he would choose a premier from their camp. Olivier Faure of the leftist party commented lacking commitments, they would withhold backing in a vote of confidence.

Fabien Roussel from the Communists commented post-consultation that the progressive camp wanted genuine reform, and a leader from the moderate faction would not be endorsed by the French people.

Greens leader Marine Tondelier said she was “stunned” the president had provided few concessions to the left, adding that “all of this is going to turn out very badly”.