New French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou said on Friday he faced a "Himalaya" of a challenge to tackle France's deficit, with opponents' lukewarm reactions to his appointment underlining the difficulty of the job he faces.

The new prime minister, a Macron ally, must try to assemble a government, regain control of France’s deficit and satisfy warring political factions.

French President Emmanuel Macron has named centrist ally François Bayrou as prime minister, after a historic parliamentary vote ousted the previous government last week.