On Saturday night Michel Barnier, the French prime minister, unveiled his new centre-Right cabinet, awarding plum posts such as interior and finance ministers to mainstream conservatives and Macron allies, provoking anger from the opposition and threats to topple the government.

The government still faces two challenges in the coming weeks: the risk of a no-confidence vote and a tight budget deadline.

French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Antoine Armand as finance minister, thrusting a 33-year-old with limited political experience into an urgent budget battle in which he must bring fiscal discipline while maintaining tacit support from the far right to avoid government collapse.