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The French leader has asked Sébastien Lecornu to come back as head of government just days after he stepped down, causing a week of high drama and instability.

The president stated late on Friday, hours after gathering key political groups together at the presidential palace, omitting the representatives of the far right and far left.

His reappointment shocked many, as he stated on national TV recently that he was not interested in returning and his task was complete.

There is uncertainty whether he will be able to form a government, but he will have to start immediately. The new prime minister faces a cut-off on Monday to present the annual budget before lawmakers.

Governing Obstacles and Economic Pressures

The presidency confirmed the president had given him the duty of creating a administration, and his advisors suggested he had been given complete freedom to act.

The prime minister, who is one of a trusted associate, then published a comprehensive announcement on an online platform in which he agreed to take on “out of duty” the task entrusted to me by the president, to strive to finalize financial plans by the December and address the common issues of our fellow citizens.

Ideological disagreements over how to lower government borrowing and cut the budget deficit have resulted in the fall of several leaders in the recent period, so his mission is enormous.

France's public debt in the past months was nearly 114 percent of economic output (GDP) – the third largest in the eurozone – and the annual fiscal gap is estimated to reach 5.4 percent of the economy.

The premier emphasized that no one can avoid the need of repairing France's public finances. With only 18 months before the end of Macron's presidency, he cautioned that prospective ministers would have to set aside their presidential ambitions.

Governing Without a Majority

What makes it even harder for the prime minister is that he will face a show of support in a parliament where Macron has no majority to endorse his government. The president's popularity reached its lowest point this week, according to a survey that put his public backing on 14%.

The far-right leader of the National Rally party, which was not invited of Macron's talks with faction heads on Friday, said that the decision, by a president increasingly isolated at the presidential palace, is a “bad joke”.

The National Rally would quickly propose a challenge against a failing government, whose only reason for being was dreading polls, Bardella added.

Building Alliances

The prime minister at least is aware of the challenges ahead as he tries to form a government, because he has already devoted 48 hours this week meeting with political groups that might support him.

On their own, the central groups cannot form a government, and there are splits within the right-leaning party who have supported the administration since he lost his majority in the previous vote.

So Lecornu will seek socialist factions for potential support.

To gain leftist support, the president's advisors suggested the president was evaluating a pause to part of his highly contentious retirement changes enacted last year which increased the pension age from the early sixties.

The offer was inadequate of what progressive chiefs hoped for, as they were expecting he would select a leader from their camp. The Socialist leader of the Socialists said without assurances, they would offer no support for the premier.

Fabien Roussel from the left-wing party said after meeting the president that the left wanted real change, and a prime minister from the president's centrist camp would not be endorsed by the public.

Environmental party head Marine Tondelier said she was “stunned” the president had given minimal offers to the progressives, adding that the situation would deteriorate.