The French parliament on Wednesday voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier over his proposed deficit-cutting budget, plunging the country into deeper political turmoil.
A motion of no confidence was approved by 331 votes in the 577-member national assembly, as Marine Le Pen’s far-right party teamed up with a leftist bloc to bring down Barnier’s minority government.
Barnier’s administration has collapsed without adopting his contentious 2025 budget that included €60bn in tax increases and spending cuts to reduce France’s deficit, which will reach 6 per cent of GDP this year.
President Emmanuel Macron will now have to select another prime minister, a task made difficult by a raucous parliament divided into three blocs, none of which is close to having a governing majority.
Macron will have to contend with an emboldened Le Pen and her Rassemblement National party, which was decisive in removing Barnier after spurning his last-ditch attempts at a compromise on his budget.
Le Pen said her decision to censure Barnier was prompted by the “necessity to put an end to the chaos, to spare the French people from a dangerous, unfair and punitive budget”.
Macron “is largely responsible for the current situation”, Le Pen told TF1 television shortly after the vote.
When the president appoints a new prime minister, that person would work on a new budget which Rassemblement National “will construct with other forces in the national assembly”, she added.
Mathilde Panot, a…
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Barnier deserves thanks and a bravo. He took on a thankless task that would never bring any glory. He played it pretty straight, tried to get the most progress possible towards a responsible budget, took all the flack and the shallow judgements about “failure”. The absurd thing about the French system is how the PM is the fall guy for presidential and/or political systemic failures, and particularly now the unbending rigidity and irresponsibility of the French parties’ culture where most of them attach no importance to governing the country at the price of compromise, and prefer to destroy for the sake of personal grandstanding. Depressing. Opening up Western Europe to such weakness and having no understanding of the consequences. Systemic and cultural immaturity.
This is a very funny comment because defining centrism as extreme is an oxymoron but the point is surely valid.
Is the premier not mandated to seek a middle way that satisfies a majority whether from left, middle or right?
If the premier attempted to pass a budget that only aligned with the expectations of a small minority ( whether that was middle, left or right) then that is an untenable pathway.
I don’t understand French politics so would welcome clarity on this perception?
@AmiableL1b3rty1yr1Y
Well, in a democracy, it's the unfortunate task of the prime minister (and in the French case, the president who nominates her or him) to pass laws that are supported by a majority of elected MPs in parliament.
Barnier, of the centre right, never did a deal with the centre left and fell victim to Le Pen's irresponsible grandstanding on top of all that. Barnier was the wrong choice from the beginning.
Macron is now the least effective president in France since Pétain, a victim of his own arrogance.
I predicted here that Barnier won't last long as a successful PM needs to… Read more
I wasn't impressed by Barnier at all. His self-righteousness gets on one's nerves. He self-justifies constantly; ignores signals and feedback. He makes it all about himself. He professes himself unable to understand other points of view. Well, he doesn't try very hard. His ability to create agreements is poor. He seems used to dictating terms, not to listening. His presentation was weak. Attal's presention was multiple times better: passionate and forceful.
He deserves no such thing. He said he would work with parliament and in the end wanted to work with no one but the narrowest of center. The left and the far-right acted correctly in the face of his extremism.
@9ZZDCRW1yr1Y
It is important to know the economic state of the world
@9ZZCF3C1yr1Y
The French have had massive issues for the past decade in controlling prices and wages, this is the logical outcome. It also follows with the rest of Europe going through a new political 'growing phase', which is historically started by the French.
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