The French National Assembly has passed a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government. French opposition lawmakers have dismissed the government.
Reuters reports this.
Barnier's government dismissed
Far-right and left-wing members of the French parliament have joined forces to vote for a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his government. The corresponding decision was supported by 331 deputies, with 288 required.
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Barnier is expected to submit his own resignation and the resignation of his government to President Emmanuel Macron in the near future.
By the way, no French government has lost a vote of confidence since Georges Pompidou in 1962. France is currently experiencing a period of deep political uncertainty.
Three sources told Reuters that President Emmanuel Macron now intends to quickly appoint a new prime minister and name him before the opening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday.
The Elysee presidential palace said Macron would address the nation on Thursday evening in a televised speech.
French government resignation: What it means for the country
The new prime minister faces the same problems as Barnier in passing legislation, including the 2025 budget.
An alternative option would be for Macron to ask Barnier and his ministers to remain in office temporarily while he finds a prime minister who can secure cross-party support for legislation. But the danger for Macron is that his opponents are voting against one of the prime ministerial candidates.
Interior Minister Bruno Retaillo said Michel Barnier was the victim of an alliance whose only goal was to sow chaos.
— Faced with the vacuum left by this vote, the right will not escape its responsibility. We will continue to work to rebuild our country. Our choice will always be in the best interests of the nation… unlike those who voted for the no-confidence vote, the minister stressed.
Finance Minister Antoine Armand said the far-right and left had combined their votes to destabilize the country.
The main stock markets in Europe closed a few hours ago, but both the euro and French government bond futures have barely changed since the results of the vote were announced. The no-confidence vote in the French government is believed to have been expected, so traders have priced it in.
