President Emmanuel Macron has asked Sébastien Lecornu to return as French prime minister only four days after he stood down from the post, sparking a week of high drama and political turmoil.
Macron made the announcement late on Friday, hours after meeting all the main parties together at the Élysée Palace, except the leaders of the far right and far left.
Lecornu's return came as a surprise, as he said on national TV only two days ago he was not "chasing the job" and his "mission is over".
It is not even certain he will be able to form a government, but he will have to hit the ground running. The new prime minister faces a deadline on Monday to put next year's budget before parliament.
The Élysée said the president had "tasked [Lecornu] with forming a government" and Macron's entourage indicated he had been given "carte blanche" to act.
Lecornu, who is 39 and one of Macron's most loyal allies, then released a long statement on X in which he accepted "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".
When he appeared on French TV this week, Lecornu described himself as a "soldier-monk", and as he prepared to get to grips with forming a government he said on Friday "I will do everything to succeed in this mission".
