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.
France will contribute an additional €200 million to support reconstruction projects and Ukraine’s integration into the European market, - Prime Minister Denis Shmygal has announced.
French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Tuesday in a bid to ease tensions over Ukraine, U.S. ties, and EU trade strategies, amid growing disagreements between the two leaders.
UN Headquarters in New York, powerful voices from France’s overseas territories accused Paris of sustaining colonial control under new names, demanding sovereignty, reparations, and justice for people of African descent.
More than 500 people were arrested and two fatalities reported following chaotic celebrations across France after Paris Saint-Germain's historic Champions League victory, according to the interior ministry.
French President Emmanuel Macron issued a strong warning Friday that France could toughen its stance on Israel, including the possible imposition of sanctions against Israeli settlers, if humanitarian aid to Gaza continues to be obstructed.
Protey, a Russian telecom equipment developer, installed 4G mobile network systems in Afghanistan last year, a development reported by the Vedomosti business newspaper on Thursday. The systems are designed to provide mobile services for an estimated 10 million people.
Ahead of the IAEA meeting in Vienna, Iran’s foreign minister reaffirmed the country’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment and warned Europe against seeking renewed UN sanctions, calling such efforts a “major strategic mistake.”
The European Union and Ukraine are negotiating a new agreement on agricultural import quotas, aiming to find a balance between pre-war trade limits and the temporary exemptions granted after 2022.
Eid al-Adha, known as the "Festival of Sacrifice," stands as one of Islam's most significant celebrations, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah's command.
A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to bar foreign students from attending Harvard University, following a legal challenge filed by the institution.
As peace talks progress, voices from Yerevan, Tbilisi, and Baku reveal hopes, concerns, and expectations for a future shaped by trade, trust, and generational change in the South Caucasus.
A bridge collapse in the Vygonichsky district of Russia’s Bryansk region, near the Ukrainian border, caused a train derailment and a traffic accident early Sunday, killing at least seven people and leaving 30 injured, according to emergency services.
Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) has confirmed it carried out a third targeted attack against the Crimean Bridge, also known as the Kerch Bridge, early Tuesday morning, marking a new escalation in the ongoing conflict with Russia.
A strong 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Japan’s Hokkaido prefecture early Monday, causing no reported injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning was issued, officials confirmed.
Federal authorities have arrested 14 suspects in Los Angeles linked to an Armenian organized crime ring accused of stealing $30 million in COVID relief and Small Business loans intended to support American taxpayers.
Protey, a Russian telecom equipment developer, installed 4G mobile network systems in Afghanistan last year, a development reported by the Vedomosti business newspaper on Thursday. The systems are designed to provide mobile services for an estimated 10 million people.
The European Union and Ukraine are negotiating a new agreement on agricultural import quotas, aiming to find a balance between pre-war trade limits and the temporary exemptions granted after 2022.
Eid al-Adha, known as the "Festival of Sacrifice," stands as one of Islam's most significant celebrations, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah's command.
A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to bar foreign students from attending Harvard University, following a legal challenge filed by the institution.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney held talks to improve bilateral ties, pledging renewed dialogue and cooperation. Despite recent tensions, both leaders expressed interest in pragmatic engagement and resolving key issues through open communication.
Protey, a Russian telecom equipment developer, installed 4G mobile network systems in Afghanistan last year, a development reported by the Vedomosti business newspaper on Thursday. The systems are designed to provide mobile services for an estimated 10 million people.
Ahead of the IAEA meeting in Vienna, Iran’s foreign minister reaffirmed the country’s refusal to halt uranium enrichment and warned Europe against seeking renewed UN sanctions, calling such efforts a “major strategic mistake.”
The European Union and Ukraine are negotiating a new agreement on agricultural import quotas, aiming to find a balance between pre-war trade limits and the temporary exemptions granted after 2022.
Eid al-Adha, known as the "Festival of Sacrifice," stands as one of Islam's most significant celebrations, commemorating Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son in obedience to Allah's command.
A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to bar foreign students from attending Harvard University, following a legal challenge filed by the institution.
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