🔗 Share this article

President Emmanuel Macron has called upon his former prime minister to come back as head of government just days after he stepped down, causing a week of high drama and political turmoil.

The president declared on Friday evening, shortly after consulting with all the main parties collectively at the official residence, omitting the leaders of the political extremes.

The decision to reinstate him was unexpected, as he declared on broadcast recently that he was not seeking the position and his “mission is over”.

Doubts remain whether he will be able to form a government, but he will have to start immediately. The new prime minister faces a time limit on Monday to submit financial plans before the National Assembly.

Governing Obstacles and Budgetary Strains

Officials announced the president had given him the duty of creating a administration, and those close to the president indicated he had been given complete freedom to act.

The prime minister, who is one of the president's key supporters, then published a detailed message on an online platform in which he consented to responsibly the mission entrusted to me by the president, to make every effort to provide France with a budget by the December and respond to the everyday problems of our compatriots.

Ideological disagreements over how to lower France's national debt and reduce the fiscal shortfall have led to the ouster of multiple premiers in the recent period, so his challenge is daunting.

The nation's debt in the past months was close to 114% of economic output (GDP) – the third largest in the eurozone – and current shortfall is projected to amount to 5.4 percent of economic output.

The premier emphasized that no one can avoid the need of fixing the nation's budget. Given the limited time before the end of Macron's presidency, he advised that anyone joining his government would have to set aside their aspirations for higher office.

Ruling Amid Division

Compounding the challenge for Lecornu is that he will face a show of support in a legislative body where Macron has lacks sufficient support to endorse his government. His public standing hit a record low recently, according to a survey that put his approval rating on 14%.

The far-right leader of the right-wing group, which was not invited of consultations with political chiefs on Friday, remarked that the decision, by a president out of touch at the presidential palace, is a poor decision.

The National Rally would immediately bring a challenge against a struggling administration, whose only reason for being was avoiding a vote, Bardella added.

Forming Coalitions

The prime minister at least knows the pitfalls in his path as he tries to establish a cabinet, because he has already used time this week consulting factions that might support him.

On their own, the centrist parties lack a majority, and there are divisions within the right-leaning party who have supported the administration since he failed to secure enough seats in recent polls.

So Lecornu will look to left-wing parties for potential support.

To gain leftist support, Macron's team suggested the president was thinking of postponing to part of his controversial retirement changes passed in 2023 which raised the retirement age from 62 up to 64.

It was insufficient of what socialist figures wanted, as they were hoping he would appoint a prime minister from the left. The Socialist leader of the leftist party stated lacking commitments, they would withhold backing in a vote of confidence.

Fabien Roussel from the Communists commented post-consultation that the left wanted genuine reform, and a premier from the president's centrist camp would not be supported by the public.

Environmental party head Marine Tondelier remarked she was surprised Macron had offered the left almost nothing to the progressives, adding that outcomes would be negative.