Unions called for strikes and street demonstrations across France following the collapse of President Emmanuel Macron’s latest government.

The industrial action was announced on Thursday as the embattled head of state prepared to accept the resignation of Michel Barnier, his fifth prime minister in seven years.

Mr Barnier lost a no-confidence vote in the Paris parliament on Wednesday and was due at the Élysee Palace first thing on Thursday morning.

This will mean that the 73-year-old former EU Brexit negotiator, who was only appointed in September, will officially become the shortest-serving prime minister in modern French history. 

A spokesman for the CGT, France’s Confederation of Labour union, said strikes would affect multiple sectors, including schools, hospitals, airports, and town halls.