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.
A knife attack in Mulhouse has left one person dead and three injured. France’s Interior Minister says migration issues played a role in the incident.
France has handed over control of a military base in Ivory Coast’s commercial capital, Abidjan, while retaining 80 military personnel for training. The move is part of a broader reduction of French forces in West and Central Africa.
French President Emmanuel Macron said France may deploy forces to secure peace in Ukraine after a ceasefire, urging Europe to strengthen its defence amid shifting US-Russia relations.
Masdar, TotalEnergies and EPointZero, the decarbonisation division of 2PointZero, have signed a Framework for Action (FFA) agreement to expand clean energy access across Africa and Asia.
France will host European leaders, including Britain's prime minister, on Monday for an emergency summit on the war in Ukraine. The hastily arranged meeting comes after U.S. officials suggested Europe would have no role in any talks on ending the conflict.
Germans head to the polls in a national election expected to return Friedrich Merz’s conservatives to power while giving the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) its best-ever result, marking a significant rightward shift in Europe’s largest economy.
Polish President Andrzej Duda called for a stronger U.S. presence in Poland and Central Europe during a meeting with Donald Trump in Washington. Trump, however, assured Duda of U.S. support, saying Poland is a credible ally.
Pope Francis' health has worsened, with the Vatican describing his condition as "critical" for the first time. He has received supplemental oxygen and blood transfusions.
A knife attack in Mulhouse has left one person dead and three injured. France’s Interior Minister says migration issues played a role in the incident.
Cupertino, CA, February 17, 2025 – Apple today released the first developer beta for iOS 18.4, unveiling a new “Priority Notifications” feature powered by Apple Intelligence.
A tragic crowd crush at New Delhi Railway Station on Saturday night left 18 dead and 10 injured as thousands of people, many heading to the Kumbh Mela festival, attempted to board delayed trains. The incident highlights the ongoing risks of overcrowding at public transportation hubs in India.
A Delta Air Lines regional jet flipped upside down upon landing at Toronto Pearson Airport on Monday, injuring 18 people. Officials are investigating whether strong winds and snow played a role in the incident.
Berlin, February 21, 2025 – German citizens will head to the polls on Sunday, February 23, for a snap general election after the coalition government collapsed late last year.
Germans head to the polls in a national election expected to return Friedrich Merz’s conservatives to power while giving the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) its best-ever result, marking a significant rightward shift in Europe’s largest economy.
Polish President Andrzej Duda called for a stronger U.S. presence in Poland and Central Europe during a meeting with Donald Trump in Washington. Trump, however, assured Duda of U.S. support, saying Poland is a credible ally.
Pope Francis' health has worsened, with the Vatican describing his condition as "critical" for the first time. He has received supplemental oxygen and blood transfusions.
A knife attack in Mulhouse has left one person dead and three injured. France’s Interior Minister says migration issues played a role in the incident.
BERLIN, Feb 22 (Reuters) - NATO is planning to build a pipeline system from Germany to Poland and the Czech Republic to ensure a rapid supply of jet fuel for fighter aircraft in the event of a war with Russia, weekly German magazine Der Spiegel reported.
Germans head to the polls in a national election expected to return Friedrich Merz’s conservatives to power while giving the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) its best-ever result, marking a significant rightward shift in Europe’s largest economy.
Polish President Andrzej Duda called for a stronger U.S. presence in Poland and Central Europe during a meeting with Donald Trump in Washington. Trump, however, assured Duda of U.S. support, saying Poland is a credible ally.
Pope Francis' health has worsened, with the Vatican describing his condition as "critical" for the first time. He has received supplemental oxygen and blood transfusions.
A knife attack in Mulhouse has left one person dead and three injured. France’s Interior Minister says migration issues played a role in the incident.
Cupertino, CA, February 17, 2025 – Apple today released the first developer beta for iOS 18.4, unveiling a new “Priority Notifications” feature powered by Apple Intelligence.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
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