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President Emmanuel Macron has asked his former prime minister to resume duties as French prime minister just days after he resigned, causing a period of high drama and instability.

The president declared on Friday evening, hours after meeting key political groups in one place at the Élysée Palace, except for the leaders of the political extremes.

His reappointment shocked many, as he declared on national TV only two days ago that he was not “chasing the job” and his role had concluded.

It is not even certain whether he will be able to form a government, but he will have to start immediately. Lecornu faces a deadline on the start of the week to present the annual budget before parliament.

Leadership Hurdles and Fiscal Demands

The Élysée said the president had given him the duty of creating a administration, and his advisors indicated he had been given full authority to act.

The prime minister, who is one of the president's key supporters, then published a comprehensive announcement on an online platform in which he consented to as an obligation the mission given to him by the president, to make every effort to secure a national budget by the end of the year and tackle the common issues of our countrymen.

Ideological disagreements over how to reduce France's national debt and reduce the fiscal shortfall have led to the fall of two of the past three prime ministers in the past twelve months, so his challenge is immense.

The nation's debt recently was close to 114% of gross domestic product – the number three in the currency union – and current shortfall is estimated to reach 5.4% of economic output.

The premier stated that no one can avoid the imperative of fixing the nation's budget. Given the limited time before the conclusion of his term, he warned that anyone joining his government would have to put on hold their aspirations for higher office.

Governing Without a Majority

Compounding the challenge for the prime minister is that he will face a show of support in a National Assembly where the president has is short of votes to endorse his government. His public standing plummeted in the latest survey, according to an Elabe poll that put his approval rating on 14 percent.

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

His party would quickly propose a challenge against a failing government, whose main motivation was fear of an election, he continued.

Building Alliances

The prime minister at least understands the obstacles he faces as he tries to establish a cabinet, because he has already spent two days lately talking to parties that might participate in his administration.

Alone, the centrist parties lack a majority, and there are disagreements within the right-leaning party who have supported Macron's governments since he failed to secure enough seats in recent polls.

So Lecornu will seek left-wing parties for possible backing.

In an attempt to court the left, Macron's team suggested the president was evaluating a pause to some aspects of his highly contentious pension reforms enacted last year which raised the retirement age from the early sixties.

The offer was inadequate of what progressive chiefs desired, as they were expecting he would appoint a premier from their side. The Socialist leader of the leftist party commented without assurances, they would offer no support to back the prime minister.

The Communist figure from the left-wing party stated following discussions that the left wanted genuine reform, and a premier from the central bloc would not be supported by the citizens.

Environmental party head Marine Tondelier expressed shock Macron had offered the left almost nothing to the progressives, adding that “all of this is going to turn out very badly”.