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The French leader has asked his former prime minister to return as the nation's premier only four days after he left the post, causing a week of high drama and political turmoil.

The president declared on Friday evening, shortly after consulting with leading factions in one place at the Élysée Palace, excluding the representatives of the political extremes.

Lecornu's return was unexpected, as he said on broadcast recently that he was not interested in returning and his role had concluded.

There is uncertainty whether he will be able to form a government, but he will have to start immediately. Lecornu faces a deadline on Monday to put next year's budget before the National Assembly.

Leadership Hurdles and Economic Pressures

The Élysée announced the president had assigned him to build a cabinet, and his advisors suggested he had been given “carte blanche” to make decisions.

Lecornu, who is one of a trusted associate, then issued a detailed message on an online platform in which he accepted as an obligation the task assigned by the president, to do everything to secure a national budget by the end of the year and tackle the everyday problems of our compatriots.

Ideological disagreements over how to lower government borrowing and balance the books have caused the ouster of several leaders in the recent period, so his task is enormous.

Government liabilities earlier this year was nearly 114 percent of gross domestic product – the third largest in the currency union – and this year's budget deficit is estimated to hit 5.4% of GDP.

Lecornu said that no one can avoid the imperative of fixing government accounts. With only 18 months before the end of Macron's presidency, he advised that prospective ministers would have to put on hold their presidential ambitions.

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 no majority to support him. The president's popularity plummeted recently, according to research that put his approval rating on 14 percent.

Jordan Bardella of the right-wing group, which was excluded of Macron's talks with party leaders on the end of the week, remarked that the prime minister's return, by a president out of touch at the Élysée, is a misstep.

The National Rally would immediately bring a vote of no confidence against a struggling administration, whose main motivation 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 recently meeting with political groups that might participate in his administration.

Alone, the central groups cannot form a government, and there are splits within the conservative Republicans who have supported the administration since he failed to secure enough seats in the previous vote.

So Lecornu will seek socialist factions for potential support.

In an attempt to court the left, 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 the early sixties.

It was insufficient of what left-wing leaders hoped for, as they were hoping he would appoint a leader from the left. The Socialist leader of the leftist party stated lacking commitments, they would withhold backing to back the prime minister.

The Communist figure from the left-wing party said after meeting the president that the progressive camp wanted real change, and a leader from the president's centrist camp would not be endorsed by the public.

Greens leader the Green figure said she was “stunned” Macron had offered the left almost nothing to the left, adding that outcomes would be negative.