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.
Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor and director who became a champion of independent film, died at his home in Provo, Utah, on 16 September. He w...
U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging that the newspaper published false and dam...
As Israel launches a major ground offensive in Gaza City, families of hostages and activists in Jerusalem demand the immediate release of captives, in...
Japan will not recognise a Palestinian state for the time being, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will skip a relevant meeting during the United Nati...
Utah prosecutors said on Tuesday they will seek the death penalty for the suspect in conservative activist Charlie Kirk's assassination and revealed s...
France will send three Rafale fighter jets to Poland to reinforce NATO’s eastern defences, following Russian drone incursions that crossed into Polish airspace, President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday.
France is once again facing political turmoil as the 'Block Everything' movement mobilises tens of thousands of protesters, disrupting railway hubs, universities, schools, and government offices.
Firefighters attempted to extinguish a blaze at a central Paris restaurant during the nationwide "Block Everything" protest on Wednesday.
Sebastien Lecornu, chosen by President Emmanuel Macron to be France's fifth prime minister in just two years, took office on Wednesday amid widespread anti-government protests that highlighted the country's deepening political crisis.
AnewZ has learned that India has once again blocked Azerbaijan’s application for full membership in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, while Pakistan’s recent decision to consider diplomatic relations with Armenia has been coordinated with Baku as part of Azerbaijan’s peace agenda.
A day of mourning has been declared in Portugal to pay respect to victims who lost their lives in the Lisbon Funicular crash which happened on Wednesday evening.
A Polish Air Force pilot was killed on Thursday when an F-16 fighter jet crashed during a training flight ahead of the 2025 Radom International Air Show.
At least eight people have died and more than 90 others were injured following a catastrophic gas tanker explosion on a major highway in Mexico City’s Iztapalapa district on Wednesday, authorities confirmed.
Lithuania is teaching children how to operate drones along its border with Russia, part of efforts to bolster awareness and skills on the NATO 'Eastern flank'.
Robert Redford, the Oscar-winning actor and director who became a champion of independent film, died at his home in Provo, Utah, on 16 September. He was 89.
U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a $15 billion defamation lawsuit against The New York Times, alleging that the newspaper published false and damaging information about him to interfere in the 2024 election.
As Israel launches a major ground offensive in Gaza City, families of hostages and activists in Jerusalem demand the immediate release of captives, intensifying pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Japan will not recognise a Palestinian state for the time being, and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will skip a relevant meeting during the United Nations General Assembly this month, the Asahi newspaper reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed government sources.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment