Barnier will leave office having served the shortest prime ministerial term in modern French history
France plunged into political turmoil on Wednesday as Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government fell to a no-confidence vote, marking the shortest prime ministerial tenure in the modern history of this country.
The far-right National Rally and the left-wing New Popular Front alliance united to oust Barnier after his government attempted to push through an austere budget aimed at curbing France’s soaring deficit.
MPs voted decisively to pass the no-confidence motion against Michel Barnier, just three months after he was appointed prime minister by President Emmanuel Macron.
The motion, tabled by opposition parties, came in response to Barnier’s controversial use of special powers to bypass parliamentary approval for his austerity budget. It is the first time a French government has been toppled by a no-confidence vote since 1962.
Wednesday’s vote required 288 MPs to support the motion for it to pass. In the end, 331 MPs voted in favor.
The unprecedented collapse has raised alarms over the stability of the eurozone’s second-largest economy.
Three sources told Reuters that President of France Emmanuel Macron aimed to install a new prime minister swiftly, with one saying he wanted to name a premier before a ceremony to reopen the Notre-Dame Cathedral on Saturday.
Any new prime minister would face the same challenges as Barnier in getting bills, including the 2025 budget, adopted by a divided parliament.
There can be no new parliamentary election before July.
Alternatively, Macron could ask Barnier and his ministers to stay on in a caretaker capacity while he takes time to identify a prime minister able to attract sufficient cross-party support to pass legislation.
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has thanked U.S. President Donald Trump. In his letter, the head of state expressed deep gratitud...
Ukraine faces a narrowing diplomatic space as pressure builds around U.S. backed peace proposals, warning that the structure of the conflict may leave...
Democracies must be prepared to fight for freedom in order to survive, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said on Wednesday, in a speech ...
The possibility of restricting social media access for children is a hot topic in the European Union and the United Kingdom, after Australia implement...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian arrived in Astana on Wednesday, 10 December, for a two-day visit aimed at expanding trade, transit, and economic t...
French naval forces opened fire on a swarm of unidentified drones that flew over one of the country’s most sensitive military installations, the Île Longue submarine base in western Brittany, officials confirmed on Friday.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for the 6th of December, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping accompanied French President Emmanuel Macron to Chengdu on Friday, a rare gesture seemingly reserved for the head of Europe's second-largest economy that highlights Beijing's focus on Paris in its ties with the European Union.
French President Emmanuel Macron urged Chinese leader Xi Jinping to cooperate more closely on geopolitics, trade and the environment, as the European Union seeks China's help to end the war in Ukraine.
Scores of demonstrators gathered outside the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo Tuesday (9 December) to protest against the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
Pressure is mounting between Venezuela and the United States as both nations emphasise military preparedness and strategic positioning.
Iran and Saudi Arabia reiterated their commitment to enhance ties following a joint meeting with China in Tehran on Tuesday to follow up on implementation of the 2023 Beijing Agreement which resulted in resumption of their diplomatic relations after eight years.
Tanzania's government warned on Monday that protests scheduled for Tuesday would be illegal and amounted to an attempted coup, as security forces were heavily deployed in major cities.
Türkiye has reinforced its strategic partnership with Hungary, aiming to expand cooperation in trade, energy, defense, and innovation.
Ukraine faces a narrowing diplomatic space as pressure builds around U.S. backed peace proposals, warning that the structure of the conflict may leave little room to avoid difficult territorial choices.
Democracies must be prepared to fight for freedom in order to survive, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said on Wednesday, in a speech delivered by her daughter during a ceremony Machado could not attend.
The possibility of restricting social media access for children is a hot topic in the European Union and the United Kingdom, after Australia implemented a world-first ban for those under 16. Lawmakers have labelled the ban a “real-world test” of how far governments can go to protect young people.
China and Russia have successfully concluded a joint strategic air patrol over the East China Sea and the Western Pacific under the framework of their annual military cooperation plan.
Hate speech targeting Muslims and Christians in India surged by 74% in 2024, driven by election-season rhetoric and unrest in neighboring Bangladesh, according to a new report from the India Hate Lab, a Washington-based research organization.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment