内容摘要：In Brussels, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, held an emergency defence summit as the EU grapples with the prospect of Trump reducing security assistance for Europe.

In Brussels, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, held an emergency defence summit as the EU grapples with the prospect of Trump reducing security assistance for Europe.

"We have a prime minister completely dependent on National Rally," said Ms Castets who complained that she, like millions of French voters, felt betrayed and that the president had in effect ended up governing with the far right.Entering the prime minister's residence on Friday evening, Mr Barnier promised to address "the challenges, the anger, the suffering, the feeling of abandonment, of injustice running through many of our cities, suburbs and rural areas".

He told the TF1 channel that as prime minister, he would address national issues including pension reform, migration and the country’s economic situation.Ex-prime minister Gabriel Attal, whose centrist bloc came second in the election, said after talks with Mr Barnier that Ensemble was prepared to join a broad front with the republican right and republican left, with "no desire to block or offer unconditional support".Mr Barnier himself comes from the Republicans, and party leader Laurent Wauquiez said his decision depended on the prime minister's plans: "For the moment, nothing has been decided."

Some on the left said it was their own fault they ended up with Mr Barnier as prime minister.Socialist Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo pointed out that the president had considered former Socialist prime minister, Bernard Cazeneuve, for the job but that he had been turned down by his own party.

Another Socialist mayor, Karim Bouamrane, blamed intransigence from other parts of the left alliance: "The path they chose was 100% or nothing - and here we are with nothing."

National Rally leaders Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella have already stressed they will not join the Barnier government, but will wait and see what policies he brings to parliament before they decide on a vote of confidence.In principle, it could mean either tax rises or spending restraint.

In practice, given the announcement of a significant increase in employers' National Insurance rates in October, the government's view is that it would have to mean spending restraint - Darren Jones, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, practically said as much in the Commons today.To be clear, spending restraint would not necessarily mean spending cuts, just much lower spending increases than would otherwise happen.

This is where economics could collide with politics fast.It's all very well for the Treasury to take measures to soothe the bond markets, where government debt is traded.