GUWAHATI: France has been thrown into political turmoil after a no-confidence vote ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government, ending the right-wing minority coalition after just three months. The vote, initiated by a left-wing alliance, garnered support from Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally, with 331 lawmakers backing the motion on Wednesday evening.
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Barnier announced his resignation, effective Thursday morning, warning beforehand that France faced “the unknown.” President Emmanuel Macron is set to address the nation on Thursday evening as the country grapples with its most significant political crisis in decades.
The collapse of the government leaves Macron in a precarious position. The absence of a parliamentary majority complicates the passage of the 2025 budget amid a growing public deficit. Macron has ruled out resigning, calling such speculation “political fiction,” but both far-left and far-right factions have demanded his departure.
This marks the first successful no-confidence vote in France since 1962, during Charles de Gaulle’s presidency, and establishes Barnier’s administration as the shortest-lived in the Fifth Republic’s history. With no parliamentary elections permitted until July 2025, Macron faces limited options in managing the National Assembly.
Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator, was appointed in September to end a summer of political deadlock. His mission to stabilise France’s finances through a €60 billion package of tax rises and spending cuts ultimately led to his downfall. On Monday, Barnier invoked Article 49.3 of the constitution to pass a controversial social security bill without a parliamentary vote, triggering the no-confidence motion.
The minority coalition had relied heavily on appeasing Le Pen’s National Rally, which held unprecedented influence. However, when Barnier conceded to some of their demands, it alienated other factions. Despite tactical voting to block far-right dominance, the National Rally supported the no-confidence motion, citing their aim to topple the government.
If a budget is not passed by December 20, emergency measures could extend 2024’s financial framework into 2025, scrapping Barnier’s proposed cuts and tax increases. Left-wing leader Éric Coquerel hailed the no-confidence vote as a moment of “hope,” while Jean-Luc Mélenchon called it a “historic day.”
The political crisis underscores the deep divisions in French politics, as Macron faces an uphill battle to restore stability and steer the country through economic uncertainty.
