Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of the radical Left party France Unbowed, has vowed to demand a vote of no-confidence as early as Jan 16, while polls show that nearly half (49 per cent) of French people are in favour of toppling Mr Bayrou’s government as well.

In his traditional New Year's Eve address, French President Emmanuel Macron acknowledged that his June decision to call snap elections had unintended consequences. He admitted the move deepened divisions in the National Assembly instead of offering solutions for the French people.