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.

A total of 331 parliamentarians voted in support of the censure motion, far more than the 288 required.

Mathilde Panot, from the left-wing French Unbowed, said: “The Barnier government is overthrown” thanks to the motion put forward by the left coalition.

She said: “This historic event is a powerful signal that no matter what happens, people can change the course of history.”

And she turned her fire on the president: “Now Macron must go.”

Speaking after the vote, RN leader Marine Le Pen said: “We had a choice to make and our choice is to protect the French from a toxic budget.”

The attention now turns to who will become the next prime minister.

During the summer, President Macron refused to consider the candidacy of the left’s nominee Lucie Castets for the role, though it is the largest bloc in parliament. He claimed a left premier would soon fall to a no confidence vote.

Mr Barnier has been asked by the president to remain at the helm in a caretaker capacity.

Communist Party deputy Andre Chassaigne called on the president to “have the courage to appoint a left-wing prime minister.” 

Communist Party national secretary Fabien Roussel said: “The president must look to the left of the Chamber and respect parliament and the French people!”

France saw strikes by primary school teachers today, about two-thirds of whom walked out over threatened cuts, with other public-sector disputes looming.