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| French parliament votes no confidence in Macron’s PM | French parliament votes no confidence in Macron’s PM |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Michel Barnier is the first prime minister since 1962 to lose a no-confidence vote | Michel Barnier is the first prime minister since 1962 to lose a no-confidence vote |
| French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has lost a vote of no-confidence vote in parliament, as lawmakers on both the left and the right united to oust him. | French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has lost a vote of no-confidence vote in parliament, as lawmakers on both the left and the right united to oust him. |
| A no-confidence motion requires 288 votes in the National Assembly. Wednesday evening’s motion received 331 votes, with the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) and the right-wing National Rally (RN) uniting in opposition to the minority cabinet imposed by President Emmanuel Macron. | A no-confidence motion requires 288 votes in the National Assembly. Wednesday evening’s motion received 331 votes, with the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) and the right-wing National Rally (RN) uniting in opposition to the minority cabinet imposed by President Emmanuel Macron. |
| “I don’t consider it a victory,” RN’s Marine Le Pen told TF1 after the vote. “We made the choice we did to protect the French people.” | “I don’t consider it a victory,” RN’s Marine Le Pen told TF1 after the vote. “We made the choice we did to protect the French people.” |
| “It was not done lightly,” Le Pen added. “There was no other solution.” | “It was not done lightly,” Le Pen added. “There was no other solution.” |
| Jean-Luc Melenchon, the leader of NPF’s largest party, said that the outcome was “inevitable” and called for Macron’s resignation. | |
| “Even with a Barnier every three months, Macron will not last three years,” he said on X. The French president has ruled out resigning, however. | |
| Macron appointed Barnier in September, drawing the ire of NPF. The left-wing coalition had won the most seats in the parliament in this summer’s snap elections, as part of a pact with the president to sideline RN. But Macron then turned around and snubbed NPF in favor of a minority cabinet that relied on the tacit support of RN. | Macron appointed Barnier in September, drawing the ire of NPF. The left-wing coalition had won the most seats in the parliament in this summer’s snap elections, as part of a pact with the president to sideline RN. But Macron then turned around and snubbed NPF in favor of a minority cabinet that relied on the tacit support of RN. |
| Things came to a head over the social security budget proposal, in which Barnier tried to cut spending by €40 billion ($41.87 billion) and to raise €20 billion in taxes to deal with a massive deficit. RN threatened a no-confidence vote unless the cabinet made a number of concessions to its “red lines.” | Things came to a head over the social security budget proposal, in which Barnier tried to cut spending by €40 billion ($41.87 billion) and to raise €20 billion in taxes to deal with a massive deficit. RN threatened a no-confidence vote unless the cabinet made a number of concessions to its “red lines.” |
| Le Pen accused the prime minister of being “extremely close-minded and sectarian” in the budget talks and gave Barnier a deadline to meet RN’s demands, which Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin rejected. | Le Pen accused the prime minister of being “extremely close-minded and sectarian” in the budget talks and gave Barnier a deadline to meet RN’s demands, which Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin rejected. |
| There have been almost 150 no-confidence motions since the Fifth Republic was established in 1958. Prior to Wednesday, only one government had ever been ousted – Georges Pompidou’s, in October 1962. | There have been almost 150 no-confidence motions since the Fifth Republic was established in 1958. Prior to Wednesday, only one government had ever been ousted – Georges Pompidou’s, in October 1962. |
| Barnier is likely to stay on as a caretaker PM until Macron can appoint a replacement. It took the French president nearly two months to do so after July’s parliamentary election. Another vote is not an option, because the French constitution forbids it until at least a year has passed. |