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President Emmanuel Macron has called upon Sébastien Lecornu to return as French prime minister just days after he left the post, causing a stretch of high drama and crisis.

The president stated towards the end of the week, hours after consulting with all the main parties collectively at the Élysée Palace, excluding the leaders of the political extremes.

His reappointment came as a surprise, as he declared on television recently that he was not seeking the position and his “mission is over”.

It is not even certain whether he will be able to establish a ruling coalition, but he will have to act quickly. He faces a deadline on Monday to put next year's budget before lawmakers.

Governing Obstacles and Budgetary Strains

Officials announced the president had assigned him to build a cabinet, and Macron's entourage indicated he had been given “carte blanche” to proceed.

Lecornu, who is one of the president's key supporters, then published a comprehensive announcement on social media in which he accepted as an obligation the mission given to him by the president, to do everything to secure a national budget by the December and tackle the common issues of our countrymen.

Ideological disagreements over how to lower France's national debt and balance the books have led to the resignation of two of the past three prime ministers in the last year, so his mission is immense.

France's public debt recently was nearly 114 percent of economic output (GDP) – the third highest in the currency union – and this year's budget deficit is estimated to amount to 5.4% of economic output.

Lecornu stated that “no-one will be able to shirk” the imperative of fixing government accounts. In just a year and a half before the completion of his mandate, he warned that those in the cabinet would have to delay their political goals.

Leading Without Support

What makes it even harder for Lecornu is that he will face a parliamentary test in a parliament where Macron has lacks sufficient support to endorse his government. The president's popularity plummeted this week, according to an Elabe poll that put his public backing on just 14%.

The far-right leader of the right-wing group, which was left out of Macron's talks with party leaders on the end of the week, remarked that Lecornu's reappointment, by a president out of touch at the presidential palace, is a misstep.

His party would immediately bring a challenge against a failing government, whose only reason for being was fear of an election, the leader stated.

Building Alliances

The prime minister at least understands the obstacles he faces as he tries to form a government, because he has already used time recently consulting parties that might support him.

On their own, the moderate factions cannot form a government, and there are splits within the right-leaning party who have helped prop up Macron's governments since he lacked support in recent polls.

So Lecornu will seek socialist factions for potential support.

In an attempt to court the left, officials indicated the president was considering a delay to some aspects of his divisive pension reforms implemented recently which increased the pension age from the early sixties.

It was insufficient of what socialist figures wanted, as they were hoping he would select a leader from the left. The Socialist leader of the leftist party said lacking commitments, they would withhold backing to back the prime minister.

The Communist figure from the left-wing party commented post-consultation that the progressive camp wanted real change, and a prime minister from the president's centrist camp would not be supported by the citizens.

Greens leader Marine Tondelier expressed shock Macron had offered the left almost nothing to the left, adding that outcomes would be negative.