French Prime Minister Michel Barnier on Monday urged his cabinet to "show respect for all our fellow citizens" as his freshly-appointed government went to work, backed by only a minority in parliament.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier urged his freshly-appointed cabinet Monday to avoid "bluster" and "show respect for all our fellow citizens" as it gets to work, an official in his office said.

France's new Prime Minister Michel Barnier, gathering his cabinet for the first time on Monday, told ministers to focus on action rather than stunts as he sought to change voters' perceptions that previous governments had been too arrogant.

E UROPE IS A continent of coalition governments, painful to forge and fragile to maintain. Most European politicians are familiar with their challenges. For Michel Barnier’s new French government, however,

The new cabinet pulls in allies from the centre and right, despite left-wing parties winning France's election.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier's hard-won new government faced instant challenges Sunday as threats of a no-confidence motion in parliament multiplied.