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The French leader has asked Sébastien Lecornu to resume duties as French prime minister a mere four days after he stepped down, causing a stretch of intense uncertainty and crisis.

The president made the announcement on Friday evening, following gathering all the main parties collectively at the Élysée Palace, except for the figures of the extremist parties.

The decision to reinstate him was unexpected, as he declared on broadcast just 48 hours prior that he was not interested in returning and his “mission is over”.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to assemble a cabinet, but he will have to act quickly. He faces a deadline on Monday to put next year's budget before parliament.

Governing Obstacles and Budgetary Strains

Officials confirmed the president had assigned him to build a cabinet, and Macron's entourage implied he had been given complete freedom to act.

Lecornu, who is one of Macron's closest allies, then released a long statement on social media in which he agreed to take on as an obligation the task given to him by the president, to make every effort to secure a national budget by the December and respond to the common issues of our compatriots.

Ideological disagreements over how to reduce the country's public debt and balance the books have led to the resignation of multiple premiers in the last year, so his challenge is enormous.

France's public debt earlier this year was almost 114% of national income – the third largest in the euro area – and current shortfall is estimated to reach 5.4% of the economy.

The premier said that no one can avoid the imperative 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 set aside their aspirations for higher office.

Governing Without a Majority

Compounding the challenge for Lecornu is that he will face a show of support in a National Assembly where Macron has lacks sufficient support to back him. His public standing reached its lowest point in the latest survey, according to an Elabe poll that put his approval rating on 14 percent.

The far-right leader of the far-right National Rally, which was not invited of consultations with faction heads on Friday, commented that the decision, by a president out of touch at the presidential palace, is a “bad joke”.

His party would promptly introduce a vote of no confidence against a doomed coalition, whose main motivation was dreading polls, Bardella added.

Building Alliances

Lecornu at least knows the pitfalls ahead as he tries to build a coalition, because he has already devoted 48 hours recently meeting with factions that might participate in his administration.

Alone, the centrist parties are insufficient, and there are divisions within the conservative Republicans who have helped prop up Macron's governments since he lacked support in recent polls.

So Lecornu will seek left-wing parties for potential support.

As a gesture to progressives, officials hinted the president was considering a delay to some aspects of his divisive retirement changes implemented recently which raised the retirement age from 62 up to 64.

It was insufficient of what progressive chiefs hoped for, as they were anticipating he would appoint a leader from their side. The Socialist leader of the leftist party said lacking commitments, they would withhold backing for the premier.

The Communist figure from the Communists said after meeting the president that the progressive camp wanted genuine reform, and a prime minister from the central bloc would not be accepted by the citizens.

Greens leader Marine Tondelier expressed shock the president had given minimal offers to the progressives, adding that “all of this is going to turn out very badly”.