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President Emmanuel Macron has asked his former prime minister to resume duties as French prime minister a mere four days after he left the post, causing a stretch of political upheaval and instability.

The president declared on Friday evening, hours after consulting with key political groups together at the presidential palace, omitting the representatives of the far right and far left.

Lecornu's return shocked many, as he stated on broadcast recently that he was not seeking the position and his role had concluded.

There is uncertainty whether he will be able to assemble a cabinet, but he will have to start immediately. Lecornu faces a time limit on the start of the week to submit financial plans before parliament.

Governing Obstacles and Fiscal Demands

The presidency announced the president had “tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government”, and those close to the president suggested he had been given full authority to act.

The prime minister, who is one of the president's key supporters, then published a long statement on X in which he agreed to take on “out of duty” the assignment given to him by the president, to do everything to secure a national budget by the end of the year and address the daily concerns of our compatriots.

Ideological disagreements over how to lower the country's public debt and cut the budget deficit have resulted in the ouster of several leaders in the past twelve months, so his challenge is daunting.

Government liabilities recently was almost 114% of economic output (GDP) – the third largest in the euro area – and current shortfall is expected to reach 5.4% 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 conclusion of his term, he warned that anyone joining his government would have to delay their political goals.

Governing Without a Majority

Adding to the difficulty for the prime minister is that he will face a show of support in a legislative body where Macron has no majority to back him. Macron's approval hit a record low in the latest survey, according to research that put his support level on 14 percent.

The far-right leader of the National Rally party, which was left out of consultations with faction heads on Friday, said that the prime minister's return, by a president increasingly isolated at the Élysée, is a poor decision.

The National Rally would quickly propose a motion of censure against a doomed coalition, whose only reason for being was dreading polls, Bardella added.

Building Alliances

The prime minister at least knows the pitfalls ahead as he tries to form a government, because he has already spent two days lately consulting political groups that might join his government.

On their own, the centrist parties cannot form a government, and there are splits within the right-leaning party who have assisted Macron's governments since he failed to secure enough seats in elections last year.

So he will consider progressive groups for future alliances.

To gain leftist support, officials hinted the president was thinking of postponing to some aspects of his divisive retirement changes implemented recently which raised the retirement age from 62 up to 64.

That fell short of what progressive chiefs wanted, as they were expecting he would select a prime minister from the left. Olivier Faure of the Socialists said lacking commitments, they would withhold backing in a vote of confidence.

Fabien Roussel from the Communists said after meeting the president that the left wanted genuine reform, and a prime minister from the president's centrist camp would not be endorsed by the citizens.

Environmental party head Marine Tondelier said she was “stunned” Macron had provided few concessions to the left, adding that the situation would deteriorate.