French no-confidence vote could topple prime minister's government

 

FILE – French Prime Minister Michel Barnier speaks at the National Assembly in Paris, France, Oct. 8, 2024. The government of France faces a no-confidence vote Wednesday, a move that could topple the government of Barnier.

The government of France faces a no-confidence vote Wednesday, a move that could topple the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

Analysts predict French lawmakers will likely vote in favor of a no-confidence motion.

Barnier warned the politicians that voting his government down "would make everything more difficult for France."

The no-confidence vote follows a seldom-used constitutional move the prime minister invoked Monday when he pushed through the 2025 budget without parliamentary approval, something Barnier said he did to maintain "stability" amid France\’s deep political divisions.

Barnier, who has been prime minister for just three months, is seeking to bring France\’s gigantic budget deficit under control.

The government can pass legislation without parliamentary approval under Article 49.3 of France\’s constitution. That move, however, opens up the option of no-confidence motions.

The prime minister\’s action prompted Marine Le Pen\’s far-right National Rally and the leftist New Popular Front to both respond with filings for no-confidence motions.

The left and the far-right together hold enough votes to overturn the prime minister\’s government, according to Reuters, which reports that Le Pen has confirmed that her party would support a left-wing alliance\’s no-confidence motion. A far-right motion would not receive enough votes from lawmakers.

Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the lawmakers voting in favor of the no-confidence vote were playing Russian roulette with France\’s future.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he could "not believe" the lawmakers had teamed up for the no confidence motion against the government and accused Le Pen of "unbearable cynicism."

"We must not scare people with these things. We have a strong economy,” the president said.

Macron said he is holding on to the hope that the politicians will not censure the French government.

"It doesn\’t make sense," he told reporters during a trip to Saudi Arabia. He compared the situation to "political fiction."

There have also been calls for Macron\’s resignation, but the president said he has no intention of resigning before his term ends in 2027.

"It so happens that if I am before you, it is because I was elected twice by the French people," he said. "I am extremely proud of this, and I will honor this trust with all the energy that is mine until the last second to be useful to the country."

Some information in this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters and Agence France-Presse.

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