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French Prime Minister Michel Barnier resigned Thursday after the National Assembly passed a historic no-confidence vote against his government one day prior, leaving France without a functioning government and no budget.
The motion, supported by 331 of 574 deputies, marks the first successful ousting of a French government by Parliament since 1962.
Yaël Braun-Pivet is France's National Assembly President.
“Here are the results of the vote: required majority for the adoption of the motion of censure, 288; for the adoption, 331. As the required majority has been reached, the first motion of censure has been adopted. The second motion will not be put to a vote. ... Due to the adoption of the motion of censure and in compliance with Article 50 of the constitution, the prime minister has to tender to the president the resignation of the government.”
Mr Barnier's tenure lasted just three months, making him the shortest-serving prime minister in modern French history.
The trigger for Mr Barnier's ouster was his 2025 budget plan, including austerity measures unacceptable to a majority in parliament, but which he argued were necessary to stabilise France's finances.
On Monday he forced through a social security financing bill without a vote, but the ousting of the government means France is still without a budget.
Prior to the vote, Mr Barnier warned that a vote of no-confidence will complicate matters for France and that its deficit problem will come back to haunt a future government.
“What I'm sure of, ladies and gentlemen, what I'm saying with all seriousness in front of you is that this motion of no confidence -- at a moment when you are certainly preparing to approve, in conjunction with the opposite side -- this motion of no confidence will make everything more serious and more difficult, that's what I am sure of. ... Listen to me closely - that reality will not disappear by magic with a motion of no confidence.”
President Emmanuel Macron now faces the challenge of appointing a new prime minister capable of leading a minority government in a deeply divided parliament.
The no-confidence vote has galvanized opposition leaders, with some explicitly calling for Mr Macron’s resignation.
Far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, whose party holds the most seats in the Assembly, did not explicitly called for Mr Macron’s resignation but warned that the pressure on the President of the Republic will get stronger and stronger.
“I am not pushing for, I am not asking for the resignation of (President) Emmanuel Macron. I am saying there will come a moment when, if we don’t take the route of respecting the voters and political forces and elections, well, then the pressure on the president will of course be stronger and stronger. But he’s the only one who will make the decision, who will have the last word, on whether he wants the French people to vote again before 2027 or whether he wants to stay on the horse at any price, so to speak.”
According to a poll by Odoxa-Backbone Consulting for Le Figaro daily, 59 per cent of French want the president to step down, while a survey by Harris for R-T-L put the figure even higher, at 64 perc ent.
Mr Macron, however, has dismissed calls for his resignation and ruled out new legislative elections.
The current French constitution does not call for a president to resign after his government was ousted by the National Assembly.
The constitution also says that new legislative elections cannot be held until at least July, creating a potential stalemate for policymakers.
Mr Macron announced on Thursday that he would name a new prime minister within days.
“I will ask them to form a government for the general interest, representing every political force within the spectrum of parties destined to govern and that they could join or, at least, agree not to bring it down. The Prime Minister will consult and form a more effective government at your service. Its priority will be the budget. It will submit a special draft bill in Parliament before mid-December, and this temporary law will guarantee, as our constitution states, that public services and the country continue to run. It will implement for 2025, the choices made for 2024.”
In an address to the nation seeking to limit an escalating political crisis, Macron rejected calls from opponents to resign and vowed to serve until the end of his mandate in 2027.
“I will never take the blame for the lack of responsibility of others, and notably lawmakers who chose, knowingly, to bring down the budget and the government of France a few days before Christmas.... "The mandate you democratically gave me is a five-year mandate, and I will carry it out fully, until the end.”
President Macron blames the current situation on opposition politicians, accusing the far right and far left of forming an anti-Republican alliance.
He plans to introduce a special law to extend the 2024 budget into 2025, with a new budget expected early next year.
The political instability has raised concerns over France’s economic prospects, potentially affecting public finances and investor confidence.
Rating agency Moody's warned that the government's collapse could hinder financial consolidation and deepen political deadlock.
Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, centrist ally Francois Bayrou, and former Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve are potential candidates to replace Mr Barnier.
Meanwhile, French union members on Thursday (December 5) looked forward to a new government they hoped would reverse policies implemented by France’s cabinet.
Sabine Charvin is a 57-year old nurse and member of Force Ouvreiere Labour Union.
“If the previous government failed with the budget, it's because they were wrong, so they have to review their document. At the hospital, if we don't apply a bandage correctly, we redo it, we don't just say, 'Oh, we'll keep it this way.' It's the same case here. But it's not up to us to be responsible for the mistakes they made.”
French Democratic Confederation of Labour union representative Pascaline Pohu says she is happy that Mr Barnier’s government was forced to resign.
“I didn't vote for this government, so I was happy with the government being toppled. What we expect of the new government is for everything that was put in place by the toppled government to be reversed.”
