from Your News:
The French government has fallen for the second time this year, as Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted in a vote of no confidence supported by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and the leftist New Popular Front (NFP).
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
In a dramatic turn of events, France’s National Assembly voted on Wednesday to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier, with 331 members supporting a motion of no confidence, far exceeding the 289 votes needed to collapse the government. The motion was spearheaded by the NFP bloc, but crucially supported by Marine Le Pen’s National Rally.
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Barnier’s tenure, lasting only 91 days, has now set a record for the shortest-serving prime minister in modern French history. The government’s collapse followed Barnier’s controversial attempt to bypass parliamentary approval for significant cuts to social security payments, a move that prompted Le Pen to revoke her support.
“This is reality,” Barnier said in his final speech before the vote. “I tried to confront it by presenting difficult financial texts. I would have preferred to distribute money, even if we don’t have any. But this reality remains there; it will not disappear by the magic of a motion of censure.”
Le Pen, addressing the Assembly, criticized Barnier’s governance as out of touch and lacking direction. “The budget we are rejecting today does not just break your promises. It has neither direction nor vision. It’s a technocratic budget that continues to slide downhill, careful not to touch the totem that is uncontrolled immigration,” she declared.
Despite Macron loyalists condemning Le Pen’s collaboration with the far-left, the National Rally leader dismissed the criticism, saying that the NFP served merely as a “tool” to achieve the shared goal of removing Barnier.
The collapse leaves President Macron with few options. France’s constitution prevents fresh legislative elections until mid-2025, and Macron’s refusal to step down as president rules out a national vote. Analysts suggest Macron might attempt to reappoint Barnier, seek a new prime minister from Les Républicains, or even form a technocratic government—an approach never before implemented in modern France.
The political turmoil has already destabilized France’s economy. Borrowing costs briefly surpassed those of Greece earlier this week, and concerns about the absence of a 2025 budget loom large. National Rally President Jordan Bardella argued that rejecting Barnier’s budget was essential to protecting France’s economy. “This budget is dangerous for the country,” Bardella said, emphasizing that it would “plunge our economy into a significant recession and weaken the purchasing power of the most vulnerable.”
