France unveils a more right-wing government

France unveiled a new government on Saturday evening that aims to strike a fine balance between right-wingers and centrists, as Prime Minister Michel Barnier hopes to break political deadlock following snap elections that delivered a hung parliament.

After 2-1/2 months of political uncertainty since centrist President Emmanuel Macron's surprise decision to call early elections, Barnier has put together a cabinet he hopes will find cross-party support in the fragmented parliament.

With few political heavyweights, his team includes one of the leaders of the conservative party of former President Nicolas Sarkozy, Bruno Retailleau, who negotiated the coveted interior ministry as the price for support in parliament.

However, showing the government's fragility, the prestigious job of finance minister was given to a little-known 33 year-old, Antoine Armand of Macron's party, having been turned down by more senior politicians.

The public finances portfolios, shared with new budget minister Laurent Saint-Martin, will have the unenviable task of putting together a budget bill before January, at a time France is struggling to contain a spiralling budget deficit.