François Bayrou lost a motion of no confidence in France's National Assembly as lawmakers on the left and the right rejected his plans for stinging budget cuts.

European shares finished higher on Monday, while French stocks also rose as investors stayed calm in the run-up to a no-confidence vote later in the day that lead to the ouster of the country's fifth prime minister in three years.

ASML, a leading Dutch chipmaking equipment maker, is investing 1.3 billion euros ($1.5 billion) into French AI startup Mistral AI.

Mistral's latest funding round, led by ASML, cements its status as Europe's most valuable AI startup.

The chairman of a French parliamentary committee investigating TikTok's psychological effects on minors said on Thursday that he had asked for a criminal probe into TikTok's possible responsibility for "endangering the lives" of its young users.

French directors’ guilds l’ARP and La SRF have issued a statement on the Canal+ Group’s plan to acquire historic French film company and cinema chain UGC, saying they are paying close attention to the implications of a potential deal.

The sole, unhappy concession to stability is French GDP, which despite Mr Macron’s reformist efforts has not moved much since he was re-elected in 2022. Bond markets are on edge. So are other investors.

France risks losing its third prime minister in 12 months on Monday, with François Bayrou facing a parliamentary confidence vote