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The French leader has called upon his former prime minister to come back as head of government only four days after he left the post, sparking a week of high drama and crisis.

Macron stated on Friday evening, following consulting with key political groups in one place at the presidential palace, excluding the leaders of the extremist parties.

The decision to reinstate him was unexpected, as he said on national TV just 48 hours prior that he was not “chasing the job” and his task was complete.

It is not even certain whether he will be able to establish a ruling coalition, but he will have to hit the ground running. The new prime minister faces a time limit on the start of the week to present the annual budget before lawmakers.

Governing Obstacles and Fiscal Demands

The Élysée announced the president had “tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government”, and his advisors suggested he had been given complete freedom to proceed.

Lecornu, who is one of a trusted associate, then released a detailed message on social media in which he accepted as an obligation the task entrusted to me 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.

Political divisions over how to bring down France's national debt and reduce the fiscal shortfall have caused the ouster of multiple premiers in the recent period, so his challenge is enormous.

The nation's debt in the past months was nearly 114 percent of national income – the number three in the eurozone – and current shortfall is projected to amount to 5.4% of GDP.

The premier stated that “no-one will be able to shirk” the imperative of restoring France's public finances. In just a year and a half before the conclusion of his term, he cautioned that anyone joining his government would have to delay their political goals.

Ruling Amid Division

Compounding the challenge for the prime minister is that he will face a show of support in a parliament where Macron has no majority to support him. Macron's approval hit a record low this week, according to an Elabe poll that put his approval rating on 14%.

The far-right leader of the far-right National Rally, which was left out of consultations with political chiefs on the end of the week, remarked that Lecornu's reappointment, by a president “more than ever isolated and disconnected” at the Élysée, is a misstep.

His party would immediately bring a vote of no confidence against a struggling administration, whose main motivation was avoiding a vote, he continued.

Forming Coalitions

Lecornu at least knows the pitfalls in his path as he tries to build a coalition, because he has already devoted 48 hours lately consulting parties that might join his government.

Alone, the moderate factions lack a majority, and there are splits within the traditionalists who have helped prop up Macron's governments since he lacked support in recent polls.

So Lecornu will look to left-wing parties for future alliances.

As a gesture to progressives, Macron's team suggested the president was considering a delay to portions of his divisive pension reforms enacted last year which raised the retirement age from 62 up to 64.

That fell short of what socialist figures wanted, as they were anticipating he would choose a leader from their camp. The Socialist leader of the Socialists commented lacking commitments, they would withhold backing to back the prime minister.

The Communist figure from the left-wing party stated following discussions that the left wanted substantive shifts, and a prime minister from the central bloc would not be supported 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”.