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Emmanuel Macron addresses France after no-confidence vote topples Michel Barnier government – live | France

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Against the backdrop of the political crisis, unions on Thursday called for civil servants, including teachers and air-traffic controllers, to strike over cost-cutting measures.

Here are a few photos from the wires:

Protesters march in Bordeaux as part of a day of action and strike in the public sector. Photograph: Ugo Amez/SIPA/REX/Shutterstock
People attend a demonstration in Paris as part of a national day of strikes by public sector workers. Photograph: Stéphanie Lecocq/Reuters
A protester in Paris holds up a placard, linking the degradation of public services to environmental threats, as part of a national day of strikes by public sector workers. Photograph: Stéphanie Lecocq/Reuters
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The political crisis – and Macron’s role in setting it off – has led some of his opponents to call on him to resign. An interactive poll, carried out for broadcaster RTL hours after Barnier’s government was toppled by a vote of no-confidence, suggested 64% of respondents wanted the president to step down.

Macron, whose mandate as president runs until 2027, has so far shown no signs of bowing to the pressure.

“I was elected to serve until 2027, and I will fulfil that mandate,” he told reporters earlier this week.

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In tonight’s speech, Macron is expected to address France’s economic challenges and chart out a path for the future government.

The question of who might be in charge has dominated headlines across the country. Any successor to Barnier will have to be capable of navigating the polarised currents of the country’s fragmented parliament, which will remain unchanged as no new legislative elections can be held until at least July.

Here’s our look at the president’s options:

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As we wait for Macron to speak, it’s worth highlighting that the roots of this crisis stretch back to June, when Macron’s decided to dissolve parliament and hold early elections after his centrist forces suffered a humiliating defeat in the European parliament elections.

The results of the French election yielded a divided parliament of three roughly equal blocs – left, centre and right/far right – none of which had a majority.

After it emerged as the largest parliamentary force, the leftwing NFP said it should name the new head of government. Macron rejected this, instead appointing Barnier and giving rise to a tenuous alliance of centrist and centre-right MPs.

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Hello and welcome to the blog

One day after France was plunged into political uncertainty, all eyes are on Emmanuel Macron. The French president is expected to address the nation at 8pm local time (CET), as he fends off growing pressure for him to swiftly appoint a new prime minister following the French government’s historic collapse.

Earlier today Macron met with the rightwing prime minister, Michel Barnier, who handed in his resignation letter, one day after his minority coalition government became the first to be toppled by a no-confidence vote in more than 60 years.

The political turmoil gripping France has rattled investors and risks weakening a European Union that is already reeling from the implosion of Germany’s coalition government and scrambling to present a united front before Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Follow us here for all the latest developments and new updates as they happen.

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