France’s Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, who lost a no-confidence vote in parliament this week, will stay on in a caretaker role for now, the French presidency announced on Thursday.

President Emmanuel Macron, who remains in his job, will choose the next Prime Minister. Macron is expected to address the nation in a televised speech at 8 pm local time.

The announcement came one day after Barnier lost a no-confidence vote that left the country in political turmoil and without a clear path to a budget as it enters the new year.

It was the first successful no-confidence vote in France in over 60 years, and it made Barnier’s three-month-old government the shortest-tenured in modern French history. Finding a Prime Minister who can withstand the political challenges will not be easy. France is deeply polarised, and the lower house of Parliament could try to bring down any new government.

The vote came at a difficult time for France. The country is struggling with high debt and a widening deficit. Its strong backing for Ukraine faces a challenge with the election of Donald J. Trump in the US. And Macron himself is unpopular.

The no-confidence motion was filed this week after Barnier pushed a social security spending bill through the lower house of parliament without a final vote.

New York Times News Service