Deputies of the French National Assembly (lower house of parliament) rejected a vote of no-confidence in the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier, put forward by the leftist bloc “New Popular Front.”
The vote, which required 289 votes to pass with a majority in the 577-seat National Assembly, was supported by only 197 lawmakers.
The leftist New Popular Front (NFP) coalition put forward the motion and Socialist Party (PS) leader Olivier Faure defended it, but admitted it had been soundly defeated. Faure said:
“There was very little cause for concern. The French now know who is in the majority and who is in opposition,” he admitted, accusing Barnier of being a “hostage and accomplice of the extreme right” who will now “demand promises from him.”
The motion failed because the Rassemblement Nationale (RN) voted unequivocally against it.
Since parliament is roughly divided between three equal groups – left, centrist and right – finding a political consensus is not an easy task. Cyrielle Chatelain, head of the Ecologists party, which, like the Socialists, is part of the NFP, said:
“Without the support of the RN, your government would have been overthrown.”
She also added the election result signalled a “political deal between (President) Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen,” the RN leader and three-time presidential candidate.
Government breakdown
RN MP Guillaume Bigot accused the FNP, led by the left-wing France Unbowed party, of “sulking” and said a government breakdown could only lead to “chaos.”
Former EU Brexit negotiator Barnier was appointed by Macron to provide some stability after legislative elections this summer. The 73-year-old Prime Minister has since sought to take the reins of power, warning that France faces a financial crisis if the budget deficit is not reduced and saying it would be helpful to raise taxes on high earners.
Macron, whose term expires in 2027, has been noticeably sidelined in recent weeks, especially on domestic issues, and rarely makes public statements. Barnier’s appointment was also a contrasting decision for the French. In four years, they have seen three prime ministers who were almost unknown before their appointment come and go.
That said, Barnier and his government could be toppled at any time if the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, passes a vote of no confidence.
Criticism from the left
The NFP alliance won the most seats of any coalition – even though the RN became a separate major party. The NFP is still furious that Macron refused to appoint a politician from the left as prime minister. The left was also angered by the hardline stance of new Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who said a referendum on immigration should be held, although he acknowledged that this was impossible under the country’s constitution.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed (LFI), commented on the news on X:
From the rostrum of the Assembly, the RN humiliated Barnier and boasted of leading him via Twitter and obeying him immediately. It was a moment in parliamentary history when the Macron government paid for its submission to the far right with shame.
