E UROPE IS A continent of coalition governments, painful to forge and fragile to maintain. Most European politicians are familiar with their challenges. For Michel Barnier’s new French government, however,

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier unveiled his new cabinet Saturday. But as months of political paralysis come to a close, the government’s future remains volatile.

In the new parliament, he had been set to head the economic committee in the lower house until Barnier tapped him for the top job at the powerful Ministry of Economics and Finance. Armand is no stranger to "Bercy" as the ministry is often called in France,