First defeat in French parliament for Macron's government

France's government has suffered its first defeat in parliament after President Emmanuel Macron's ruling party lost its majority in elections last month.

The National Assembly rejected a proposal on Tuesday night to give the government powers to demand travellers show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test when entering France.

The defeat by 219 votes to 195 saw all the major opposition parties - the far-right National Rally (RN), the hard-left LFI, and rightwing Republicans (LR) - unite against the minority government.

"The circumstances oblige the government to listen to opposition parties which at the moment it has a few difficulties in doing," top Republicans MP Olivier Marleix told Sud Radio on Wednesday morning.

Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne condemned the obstruction and allies sought to stress how the so-called "extremes" - the far-right and hard-left - had teamed up together.

"Clear collusion between the extremes, each one applauding the other," MP Maud Bregeon from Macron's Republic on the Move wrote on Twitter alongside a video.

Fellow ruling party Remy Rebeyrotte criticised "an atmosphere like a football match" during the debate where speakers were...