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President Emmanuel Macron has requested Sébastien Lecornu to return as the nation's premier just days after he stepped down, causing a week of high drama and instability.

Macron declared towards the end of the week, following consulting with leading factions in one place at the presidential palace, omitting the leaders of the far right and far left.

His reappointment came as a surprise, as he stated on television just 48 hours prior that he was not seeking the position and his task was complete.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to assemble a cabinet, but he will have to start immediately. The new prime minister faces a deadline on the start of the week to put next year's budget before parliament.

Leadership Hurdles and Fiscal Demands

The Élysée announced the president had assigned him to build a cabinet, and his advisors suggested he had been given complete freedom to act.

The prime minister, who is one of Macron's closest allies, then released a comprehensive announcement on social media in which he consented to “out of duty” the mission assigned by the president, to do everything to finalize financial plans by the end of the year and respond to the common issues of our countrymen.

Political divisions over how to reduce France's national debt and reduce the fiscal shortfall have led to the ouster of two of the past three prime ministers in the past twelve months, so his mission is immense.

France's public debt in the past months was close to 114% of national income – the third highest in the euro area – and this year's budget deficit is projected to hit 5.4 percent of GDP.

The premier stated that no one can avoid the need of fixing government accounts. In just a year and a half before the end of Macron's presidency, he advised that anyone joining his government would have to put on hold their political goals.

Governing Without a Majority

What makes it even harder for Lecornu is that he will face a vote of confidence in a National Assembly where Macron has no majority to endorse his government. Macron's approval plummeted in the latest survey, according to research that put his approval rating on just 14%.

The far-right leader of the National Rally party, which was left out of consultations with party leaders on the end of the week, remarked that Lecornu's reappointment, by a president increasingly isolated at the Élysée, is a “bad joke”.

They would quickly propose a challenge against a struggling administration, whose main motivation was avoiding a vote, the leader stated.

Seeking Support

Lecornu at least is aware of the challenges ahead as he tries to build a coalition, because he has already spent two days recently talking to political groups that might participate in his administration.

On their own, the central groups cannot form a government, and there are splits within the traditionalists who have supported the administration since he lacked support in elections last year.

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

To gain leftist support, officials suggested the president was considering a delay to some aspects of his highly contentious social security adjustments implemented recently which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.

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

Fabien Roussel from the Communists stated following discussions that the left wanted real change, and a prime minister from the central bloc would not be endorsed by the French people.

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