Thousands of people demonstrated across France to demand the nomination of right-wing Michel Barnier as the new prime minister, after a mixed election in which the left won the most seats.
More than 100 protests are expected on Saturday in cities including Paris, Marseille, Bordeaux, Nice and Le Mans.
The demonstrations were led by trade unions and left-wing parties whose own candidate for prime minister was rejected by President Emmanuel Macron.
Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator, said he was willing to form a government with politicians from across the political spectrum, including from the left.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a veteran firebrand of France’s radical Unyielding Party, called for “the most powerful mobilization” in marches across the country.
Some 130 protests are taking place, with the largest erupting in central Paris on Saturday afternoon.
Mr Mélenchon joined the protests in Paris, speaking from behind a float emblazoned with the slogan: “For democracy, stop Macron’s coup”.
Demonstrators also used slogans such as “deny democracy” and “steal the election.”
Left-wing parties are angry that their own candidate for prime minister, Lucie Castets, was rejected by Mr Macron, who said she had no chance of surviving a confidence vote in the National Assembly.
Mr Barnier may be able to survive the confidence vote because the far-right, which also won a large number of seats, said it would not automatically vote against him.
That sparked criticism that his government would rely on the far right.
Ms Castor said: “Our Prime Minister is completely reliant on national rallies.”
On Saturday afternoon, Mr Barnier visited a children’s hospital in Paris, where he stressed the importance of public services but told medical staff that his government “will not perform miracles”, local broadcaster BFMTV reported.
Against the backdrop of the protests, the new prime minister is focusing on forming a new government.
After meeting with right-wing Republican leaders and leaders of centrist groups on the president, he said discussions were going well and “energetic.”
Some on the left blame themselves for ultimately making Mr Barnier prime minister.
Socialist Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo noted that the president had considered former Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve for the position but was rejected by his own party.
Another Socialist mayor, Karim Bouamrane, accused the rest of the Syriza coalition of intransigence: “The path they have chosen is 100 percent or nothing – and we have nothing now.”
