French Prime Minister François Bayrou is expected to survive a no-confidence vote in parliament this Wednesday, winning some breathing space after less than two months in office but by no means

France's Prime Minister Francois Bayrou survived a challenge to his authority after two votes of confidence in his minority government were defeated in the country's parliament, the National Assembly, on Wednesday.

Bayrou, a veteran centrist named by President Emmanuel Macron in December with the task of ending months of political turmoil, used a controversial constitutional article to ram his cost-cutting budget through parliament without a vote on Monday.