🔗 Share this article

President Emmanuel Macron has requested Sébastien Lecornu to resume duties as the nation's premier just days after he left the post, triggering a stretch of high drama and political turmoil.

Macron declared late on Friday, hours after gathering all the main parties together at the official residence, excluding the figures of the political extremes.

His reappointment came as a surprise, as he said on television recently that he was not interested in returning and his “mission is over”.

It is not even certain whether he will be able to assemble a cabinet, but he will have to start immediately. The new prime minister faces a cut-off on the start of the week to submit financial plans before parliament.

Leadership Hurdles and Budgetary Strains

The presidency announced the president had given him the duty of creating a administration, and Macron's entourage indicated he had been given complete freedom to proceed.

Lecornu, who is one of Macron's closest allies, then published a detailed message on X in which he accepted responsibly the mission entrusted to me by the president, to make every effort to finalize financial plans by the December and address the everyday problems of our compatriots.

Political divisions over how to reduce the country's public debt and balance the books have resulted in the fall of several leaders in the past twelve months, so his task is daunting.

France's public debt earlier this year was almost 114% of national income – the third largest in the euro area – and the annual fiscal gap is estimated to hit 5.4 percent of the economy.

The premier stated that “no-one will be able to shirk” the necessity of repairing the nation's budget. With only 18 months before the completion of his mandate, he warned that prospective ministers would have to put on hold their aspirations for higher office.

Leading Without Support

Compounding the challenge for the prime minister is that he will face a show of support in a National Assembly where Macron has no majority to back him. His public standing plummeted this week, according to an Elabe poll that put his public backing on just 14%.

Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally, which was not invited of Macron's talks with faction heads on Friday, remarked that the decision, by a president “more than ever isolated and disconnected” at the presidential palace, is a poor decision.

His party would quickly propose a challenge against a struggling administration, whose sole purpose was dreading polls, he continued.

Seeking Support

Lecornu at least knows the pitfalls ahead as he tries to establish a cabinet, because he has already devoted 48 hours recently meeting with political groups that might join his government.

Alone, the moderate factions lack a majority, and there are splits within the traditionalists who have supported the ruling coalition since he failed to secure enough seats in recent polls.

So Lecornu will seek progressive groups for future alliances.

In an attempt to court the left, the president's advisors indicated the president was considering a delay to some aspects of his controversial retirement changes enacted last year which extended working life from 62 up to 64.

It was insufficient of what progressive chiefs wanted, as they were hoping he would choose a prime minister from their side. The Socialist leader of the Socialists stated “since we've not been given any guarantees, we won't give any guarantee” to back the prime minister.

The Communist figure from the Communists stated following discussions that the progressive camp wanted genuine reform, and a premier from the president's centrist camp would not be supported by the French people.

Environmental party head the Green figure expressed shock Macron had offered the left almost nothing to the left, adding that the situation would deteriorate.