French Government Facing Imminent Collapse as Vote of No Confidence Approaches

The decision by French Prime Minister Michel Barnier to push through his budget has caused a rift with Marine Le Pen’s RN party.

The government of France is at risk of collapsing after both right- and left-wing parties came together on Dec. 2 to announce their support for a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Michel Barnier. This comes in response to his decision to pass a budget without parliamentary approval.

Barnier, an ally of President Emmanuel Macron, used a special constitutional tool to push through the controversial 2025 social security budget after failing to secure support from Marine Le Pen’s RN party.

Le Pen indicated that her party planned to present a no-confidence motion and would also support similar motions proposed by others.

In response to the situation, Mathilde Panot from the left-wing France Unbowed party stated, “Faced with this denial of democracy, we will censure the government… We are experiencing political chaos due to Michel Barnier and Emmanuel Macron.”

If RN members of parliament align with their left-wing counterparts in supporting the motion, the government may not survive.

Opposition parties now have 24 hours to submit a no-confidence motion, with a potential vote scheduled for Wednesday. The last time a government in Paris was ousted in such a manner was 62 years ago.

Barnier urged parliament not to proceed with a vote of no confidence, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing the country’s future over individual interests.

If the vote of no confidence is successful, Macron will continue as president but will need to appoint a new prime minister.

The situation has created turmoil in financial markets, with borrowing costs increasing and the euro weakening against the dollar.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.



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