The French government, which missed a deadline this week to set a blueprint to lower its debt and deficit, is struggling to meet fiscal requirements set by the E.U.

The appointment of Michel Barnier, the European Union’s former Brexit negotiator, is aimed at ending months of political gridlock.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier issued a warning over the country’s public finances as disagreements between rival parties on tax and spending further complicate his task of forming a government.