French Government Ousted in No-Confidence Vote, Plunging Economy into Uncertainty
The French government has been toppled in a no-confidence vote, throwing the second-largest economy in the Eurozone into a period of deep political uncertainty. A total of 331 deputies from the left-wing New Popular Front and far-right National Rally alliances supported a censure motion in the National Assembly, far exceeding the 288 votes needed to adopt it.
The motions were filed by left-wing and right-wing blocs on Monday after Prime Minister Michel Barnier used special constitutional powers to impose a social security budget bill on Parliament without a vote.
During a debate preceding the vote, Barnier told lawmakers he was "not afraid" of being ousted, but called on parties to work together and "go beyond individual interests" to overcome divisions. He declared it an "honor" to have served as Prime Minister, before receiving an ovation from French politicians.
Having lost the confidence vote, Barnier will be forced to submit his resignation to French President Emmanuel Macron, just three months after taking office on September 5. This government will thus be the shortest-lived in the Fifth French Republic, which began in 1958.
The Prime Minister's downfall comes after several weeks of negotiations with opposition parties to try to find an agreement on a single part of the 2025 budget, which includes €60 billion in spending cuts and tax hikes deemed necessary to control France's budget deficit, expected to reach 6.1% in 2024.
