French Prime Minister Michel Barnier is expected to resign on Friday after far-right and leftist lawmakers voted to topple his government, plunging France into its second major political crisis in six months.
Barnier, a veteran politician who was formerly the European Union's Brexit negotiator, will be the shortest serving prime minister in modern French history. No French government had lost a confidence vote since Georges Pompidou's in 1962.
The hard left and far right punished Barnier for ramming an unpopular budget through an unruly hung parliament without a vote. The draft budget had sought 60 billion euros ($63.07 billion) in savings in a drive to shrink a gaping deficit.
Barnier's resignation will cap weeks of tensions over the budget, which Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally said was too harsh on working people. It also further weakens the standing of President Emmanuel Macron, who precipitated the current crisis with an ill-fated decision to call a snap election ahead of the summer Paris Olympics.
Macron faces growing calls to resign, but he has a mandate until 2027 and cannot be pushed out. Still, the long-running political debacle has left him a diminished figure.
France now risks ending the year without a stable government or a 2025 budget, although the constitution allows special measures that would avert a U.S.-style government shutdown.
France's political turmoil will further weaken a European Union already reeling from the implosion of Germany's coalition government, and weeks before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Trump is due to visit Paris on Saturday for the unveiling of the renovated Notre Dame cathedral, and Macron wants to name a prime minister before then, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
France now faces a period of deep political uncertainty that is already unnerving investors in French sovereign bonds and stocks. Earlier this week, France's borrowing costs briefly exceeded those of Greece, generally considered far more risky.
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.
Algerian authorities expelled two French intelligence agents on Sunday, accusing them of entering the country with "fake diplomatic passports," escalating tensions between the two nations.
France and Poland will sign a groundbreaking treaty on Friday to deepen cooperation on defence and energy, signaling a growing alignment among European nations.
Global debt rose by around $7.5 trillion in the first three months of the year to hit a record high of over $324 trillion, data from a banking trade group showed on Tuesday.
French President Emmanuel Macron will host Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa in Paris on Wednesday, marking the new Syrian leader’s first official visit to Europe since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad late last year.
The Canadian government has updated its travel advisory for France, warning citizens to exercise a “high degree of caution” due to an elevated threat of terrorism, according to a statement issued on Monday.
The Israeli army's violation of the Lebanon border with tanks and armored vehicles has led to a breach of the ceasefire agreement. Israeli soldiers approached within 100 meters of the Lebanese army stationed near the Alma al-Shab village and began creating soil barriers in the area.
Countries will meet at the United Nations this week to discuss the regulation of AI-controlled autonomous weapons, which are increasingly used in modern warfare. Experts warn that failing to regulate this new technology could lead to serious risks, and time is running out.
Violent Clashes in Tripoli: Head of Stability Support Forces Killed
India has fired a series of missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory, in what it has described as “Operation Sindoor”
For the first time in history, an American has been chosen to lead the Catholic Church, as Cardinal Robert Prevost is named pope.
A Rafale fighter jet operated by the Indian Air Force has reportedly been shot down for the first time in combat, according to sources cited by CNN, marking a significant and symbolic development in the ongoing escalation between India and Pakistan.
Pope Leo XIV made a surprise visit to the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano. AnewZ covered the event, with journalist Maria Rodriguez Abalde on-site. She witnessed the occasion firsthand and documented key moments. More images and footage will be available soon.
The Israeli army's violation of the Lebanon border with tanks and armored vehicles has led to a breach of the ceasefire agreement. Israeli soldiers approached within 100 meters of the Lebanese army stationed near the Alma al-Shab village and began creating soil barriers in the area.
Countries will meet at the United Nations this week to discuss the regulation of AI-controlled autonomous weapons, which are increasingly used in modern warfare. Experts warn that failing to regulate this new technology could lead to serious risks, and time is running out.
Violent Clashes in Tripoli: Head of Stability Support Forces Killed
Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa has announced he will not attend the Arab League Summit in Baghdad this weekend, following controversy sparked by Iraq's invitation to the former rebel-turned-leader, whose return to Iraq, where he fought and was imprisoned, raised concerns.
The Israeli army's violation of the Lebanon border with tanks and armored vehicles has led to a breach of the ceasefire agreement. Israeli soldiers approached within 100 meters of the Lebanese army stationed near the Alma al-Shab village and began creating soil barriers in the area.
Countries will meet at the United Nations this week to discuss the regulation of AI-controlled autonomous weapons, which are increasingly used in modern warfare. Experts warn that failing to regulate this new technology could lead to serious risks, and time is running out.
Violent Clashes in Tripoli: Head of Stability Support Forces Killed
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