Macron reappoints Lecornu as French PM, four days after he quit

It has triggered a week of intense political turmoil

Macron made the announcement late yesterday (October 10) after meeting all the main parties together at the Élysée Palace aside from the leaders of the far right and far left, per Sky News.

Lecornu's reappointment comes as quite a surprise, as only two days ago, he said on national TV that he was not "chasing the job" and his "mission is over".

As of now, it's not even certain Lecornu will be able to form a government as the new prime minister faces a deadline on Monday to present next year's budget before parliament.

The Élysée claimed the president had "tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government" and Macron's entourage indicated he had been given "carte blanche" to act.

Lecornu (39) released a long statement on X accepting "out of duty the mission entrusted to me by the president, to do everything to provide France with a budget by the end of the year and respond to the everyday problems of our compatriots".

Appearing on French TV this week, Lecornu described himself as a "soldier-monk", pressing that he will do everything in his power to form a government.

"I will do everything to succeed in this mission," he said on Friday.

Political divisions regarding France's national debt and concerns over how to cut the budget deficit have led to the downfall of the past three prime ministers in the last year, so it's easy to say Lecornu faces an immense challenge.

Earlier this year, France's public debt was almost 114% of economic output (GDP), the third highest in the eurozone, and this year's budget deficit is predicted to hit 5.4% of GDP.