Profile Rightwing veteran facing his toughest challenge

He calmly but firmly negotiated the UK's departure from the EU after years of British squabbling over Brexit, and prefers consensus to political punch-ups.

- Angelique Chrisafis, Daniel Boffey

But Michel Barnier faces his toughest challenge yet as France's new prime minister amid the country's biggest political crisis in decades.

The discreet rightwinger, 73, known for his sensible anoraks, love of spreadsheets and everpresent briefing dossiers wedged under his arm, is facing a baptism of fire in a deeply divided French political landscape.

The left alliance, which won the biggest number of seats in the new parliament but fell short of an absolute majority, says his appointment is undemocratic and he should be brought down by a no-confidence vote. Many on the left point out that he voted against the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 1981.

Marine Le Pen's far-right say they will hold fire and judge him on his programme first. But two far-right MPs recently described Barnier, now France's oldest premier in modern history, as a Jurassic Parkstyle "fossil" and a "French Joe Biden" who is always undecided.

Another far-right MP said Barnier, who served as a minister long ago under the right's Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy, had been "brought out of mothballs".

This was at odds with French voters turning out en masse in July's snap election seeking change, they said.