The clock ticked Monday for French President Emmanuel Macron to appoint the fourth government in a year marked by a deepening political crisis. French politics has been deadlocked since Macron gambled on snap elections this year.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is running out of time to meet his self-imposed deadline to name a new cabinet that won’t be quickly toppled by a no-confidence vote in parliament.  A new team was widely expected to be unveiled over the weekend after Bayrou said last week he and President Emmanuel Macron would finalize their choice before the Christmas holiday.