Macron reinstates Lecornu as French Prime Minister following days of upheaval

President Emmanuel Macron has requested Sébastien Lecornu to resume his role as French prime minister just four days after he resigned from the position, leading to a week of heightened drama and political unrest.

Macron announced the decision late Friday, following a meeting with all major parties at the Élysée Palace, with the exception of the far-right and far-left leaders.

Lecornu’s reappointment was unexpected, as he stated on national television just two days prior that he was not “seeking the position” and that his “task had concluded”.

It remains uncertain whether he will manage to assemble a government, but he will need to act swiftly. The incoming prime minister faces a Monday deadline to present next year’s budget to parliament.

The Élysée indicated that the president had “entrusted [Lecornu] with the responsibility of forming a government” and that Macron’s inner circle suggested he had been given “carte blanche” to proceed.

Lecornu, aged 39 and one of Macron’s staunchest allies, issued a lengthy statement on X, wherein he accepted “out of obligation the mission assigned to me by the president, to ensure that France is equipped with a budget by year-end and to address the daily challenges faced by our citizens”.

While appearing on French television this week, Lecornu characterized himself as a “soldier-monk”, and as he prepared to tackle the formation of a government, he declared on Friday, “I will do everything in my power to succeed in this endeavor”.

Political disagreements regarding how to manage France’s national debt and reduce the budget deficit have resulted in the downfall of two out of the last three prime ministers in the previous year, making his task exceedingly daunting.

France’s public debt was nearly 114% of economic output (GDP) earlier this year—the third highest in the eurozone—and the budget deficit for this year is anticipated to reach 5.4% of GDP.

Among the stipulations Lecornu cited for accepting the role was that “no one will be permitted to evade” the necessity of revitalizing France’s public finances. With only 18 months remaining in Macron’s presidency, he cautioned that anyone joining his administration must set aside their presidential ambitions.

Compounding Lecornu’s difficulties is that he will confront a confidence vote in a National Assembly where Macron lacks the majority to support him. According to an Elabe poll, the president’s popularity reached a record low this week, with his approval rating at just 14%.

Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally, which was excluded from Macron’s discussions with party leaders on Friday, remarked that Lecornu’s reappointment was a “bad joke” coming from a president “who is more isolated and disconnected than ever at the Élysée”.

Bardella stated his party would promptly initiate a vote of no confidence against a coalition that appears inevitably doomed, alleging its sole purpose is rooted in fear of an election. The National Rally currently leads in opinion polls.

Lecornu is at least aware of the challenges ahead while attempting to form a government, as he has already engaged in discussions with potential participating parties over the past two days.

He was originally appointed prime minister on September 9 and spent the subsequent three weeks assembling a government, only for it to disintegrate abruptly when the leader of the conservative Republicans, Bruno Retailleau, criticized one of the ministerial selections.

On their own, the centrist parties cannot establish a government, and there are rifts within the conservative Republicans who have historically supported Macron’s administrations following his electoral loss of majority last year.

Retailleau, known for his presidential aspirations, has made it clear that he will not participate in Lecornu II, declaring the socle commun (common platform) of centrists and conservatives to be defunct. However, not all of his party members share this opinion.

This situation implies that the centrist prime minister is also seeking support from left-wing parties.

In an effort to attract the left, Macron’s team has suggested that the president is contemplating postponing part of his contentious pension reforms enacted in 2023, which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.

This risks alienating crucial centrist allies, who fought vigorously for the passage of the pension reforms. It also fails to satisfy the left-wing leaders’ demands, as they anticipated Macron would select a prime minister from their ranks.

Olivier Faure of the Socialist party stated, “since we have not received any assurances, we won’t provide any guarantees [to support the prime minister] in a confidence vote”.

Fabien Roussel from the Communist party remarked following his meeting with the president that the left desires genuine change, and a prime minister from the president’s centrist faction would not find acceptance among the French populace.

Marine Tondelier, the leader of the Greens, expressed her disbelief that Macron had offered the left almost nothing, adding that “all of this is bound to end poorly”.

As Macron and his reinstated prime minister aim to cut the government’s budget deficit by tens of billions of euros, the head of France’s central bank has cautioned that the ongoing political strife will hinder the economy even more.

The bank forecasts a growth rate of 0.7% for this year; however, its chief, François Villeroy de Galhau, indicates it could have been higher, stating that the uncertainties linked to the crisis have cost France an estimated 0.2% in potential growth.

“Like many in France, I’ve had enough of this [political] chaos,” he told RTL radio. “It’s time for compromises – that’s not a dirty word – including forming coalitions.”

Should Lecornu fail to establish a government, the prospect of further instability looms, which would bear an even greater cost for the French economy.