PRESIDENT Emmanuel Macron was set to address the French nation last night, a day after the prime minister he appointed, Michel Barnier, lost a no confidence vote in the National Assembly.

It was the first time in more than 60 years that a French government has been voted out by parliament.

The motion, proposed by the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) coalition and supported by the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen, which had previously propped up Mr Barnier’s government, came after he had controversially used special executive powers to force through his unpopular budget without a vote.