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President Emmanuel Macron has called upon Sébastien Lecornu to resume duties as head of government just days after he stepped down, triggering a week of intense uncertainty and crisis.

The president stated towards the end of the week, hours after gathering key political groups together at the Élysée Palace, omitting the figures of the extremist parties.

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

It is not even certain 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 lawmakers.

Leadership Hurdles and Budgetary Strains

The Élysée announced the president had given him the duty of creating a administration, and those close to the president indicated he had been given full authority to proceed.

Lecornu, who is one of a trusted associate, then issued a comprehensive announcement on social media in which he accepted “out of duty” the task given to him by the president, to make every effort to provide France with a budget by the December and respond to the daily concerns of our countrymen.

Political divisions over how to lower government borrowing and cut the budget deficit have resulted in the resignation of two of the past three prime ministers in the recent period, so his challenge is immense.

Government liabilities earlier this year was nearly 114 percent of national income – the third largest in the currency union – and this year's budget deficit is projected to amount to over five percent of economic output.

Lecornu emphasized that everyone must contribute the imperative of repairing the nation's budget. With only 18 months before the end of Macron's presidency, he advised that those in the cabinet would have to set aside their presidential ambitions.

Governing Without a Majority

Compounding the challenge for the prime minister is that he will face a vote of confidence in a parliament where Macron has no majority to back him. His public standing plummeted recently, according to a survey that put his support level on 14 percent.

The far-right leader of the National Rally party, which was left out of consultations with faction heads on Friday, commented that the decision, by a president “more than ever isolated and disconnected” at the official residence, is a misstep.

The National Rally would quickly propose a challenge against a doomed coalition, whose sole purpose was fear of an election, the leader stated.

Forming Coalitions

Lecornu at least knows the pitfalls he faces as he tries to establish a cabinet, because he has already spent two days this week meeting with political groups that might join his government.

On their own, the centrist parties cannot form a government, and there are divisions within the conservative Republicans who have supported the administration since he lost his majority in the previous vote.

So he will look to socialist factions for potential support.

In an attempt to court the left, officials suggested the president was considering a delay to part of his divisive retirement changes enacted last year which increased the pension age from the early sixties.

That fell short of what socialist figures desired, as they were expecting he would select a premier from their camp. Olivier Faure of the leftist party stated lacking commitments, they would withhold backing in a vote of confidence.

Fabien Roussel from the left-wing party said after meeting the president that the left wanted real change, and a leader from the central bloc would not be endorsed by the citizens.

Environmental party head Marine Tondelier expressed shock the president had provided few concessions to the progressives, adding that “all of this is going to turn out very badly”.