Notre Dame Cathedral opens its doors, but the political crisis continues to roil France

This weekend's grand reopening of Notre Dame cathedral gave President Emmanuel Macron a rare moment of respite as France remains mired in an institutional crisis.

Although the ceremony wowed world leaders, including US President-elect Donald Trump, Macron remains widely unpopular at home.

The long-awaited reopening of the fire-ravaged 860-year-old monument was overshadowed by a no-confidence vote in parliament that brought down Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government on Wednesday.

A diplomatic tour

The French president scored a major diplomatic triumph by inviting Donald Trump for his first trip abroad since his election victory.

At the Elysee Palace, Macron hosted Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky for a trilateral meeting - hoping to persuade the US president-elect to continue helping Ukraine in its military efforts against Russian aggression.

But on Friday, Trump said that Ukraine should "probably" expect less help from the US when he returns to power. € news, the Telegraph reports.

During an interview with French television channel BFM, former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin congratulated Macron for "seizing the opportunity".

Moreover, Macron's promise to rebuild Notre Dame in just five years was a risky bet that few believed he could pull off.

Back to reality

But now the French leader will resume talks with party leaders.

He will reportedly meet with the leaders of the Green Party, the Communist Party and then the independent Liot group.

Representatives of the left party France Unbowed (LFI) rejected the invitation and called on the head of state to resign.

Otherwise, many blame Macron for the country's mess after he shockingly dissolved parliament when his party lost to the far-right in EU elections in June.

The French leader justified the decision to call early elections by saying the nation needed "clarification".

Instead, legislative elections ended in a deadlocked parliament without a clear majority. /Telegraph/