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President Emmanuel Macron has called upon Sébastien Lecornu to resume duties as French prime minister a mere four days after he left the post, triggering a week of intense uncertainty and crisis.

Macron made the announcement late on Friday, shortly after gathering all the main parties collectively at the Élysée Palace, excluding the leaders of the extremist parties.

Lecornu's return was unexpected, as he said on television only two days ago that he was not “chasing the job” and his task was complete.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to form a government, but he will have to hit the ground running. The new prime minister faces a time limit on Monday to submit financial plans before the National Assembly.

Political Challenges and Economic Pressures

Officials announced the president had assigned him to build a cabinet, and Macron's entourage suggested he had been given complete freedom to proceed.

The prime minister, who is one of a trusted associate, then issued a detailed message on X in which he agreed to take on as an obligation the assignment entrusted to me by the president, to make every effort to finalize financial plans by the December and address the common issues of our fellow citizens.

Political divisions over how to bring down government borrowing and reduce the fiscal shortfall have led to the fall of two of the past three prime ministers in the recent period, so his task is daunting.

The nation's debt earlier this year was nearly 114 percent of gross domestic product – the third highest in the currency union – and current shortfall is projected to hit over five percent of the economy.

Lecornu stated that no one can avoid the need of restoring the nation's budget. Given the limited time before the end of Macron's presidency, he cautioned that prospective ministers would have to delay their aspirations for higher office.

Leading Without Support

Compounding the challenge for the prime minister is that he will face a parliamentary test in a legislative body where Macron has is short of votes to endorse his government. Macron's approval reached its lowest point in the latest survey, according to research that put his approval rating on just 14%.

Jordan Bardella of the National Rally party, which was left out of the president's discussions with political chiefs on Friday, said that the decision, by a president increasingly isolated at the official residence, is a “bad joke”.

The National Rally would immediately bring a challenge against a struggling administration, whose only reason for being was dreading polls, he continued.

Seeking Support

Lecornu at least knows the pitfalls he faces as he tries to build a coalition, because he has already spent two days lately consulting political groups that might support him.

Alone, the centrist parties cannot form a government, and there are splits within the traditionalists who have supported the ruling coalition since he lacked support in elections last year.

So Lecornu will look to progressive groups for potential support.

In an attempt to court the left, Macron's team indicated the president was thinking of postponing to portions of his controversial social security adjustments enacted last year which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.

That fell short of what socialist figures wanted, as they were anticipating he would select a prime minister from their side. Olivier Faure of the Socialists stated without assurances, they would offer no support in a vote of confidence.

The Communist figure from the Communists said after meeting the president that the left wanted real change, and a prime minister from the president's centrist camp would not be accepted by the French people.

Greens leader the Green figure expressed shock the president had given minimal offers to the left, adding that outcomes would be negative.