French government collapses after no-confidence vote passes against Prime Minister Michel Barnier

The French National Assembly passed a vote of no-confidence on Wednesday, effectively collapsing the current government.

A total of 331 members voted in favor of the motion, exceeding the 288 votes needed. The vote comes shortly after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron in September.

Barnier is now expected to resign just a mere three months into holding his position. The conservative leader will be the shortest-serving prime minister in French history.

“As this mission may soon come to an end, I can tell you that it will remain an honor for me to have served France and the French with dignity,” Barnier said shortly before the vote.

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Macron intends to serve until his term ends in 2027, despite pressure from both sides of the aisle for him to resign. If he stays in office, he will need to appoint a new prime minister for the second time.

The no-confidence vote, which was prompted by budget disputes, was a result of far-right and far-left French lawmakers banding together against the current government. 

The snap legislative elections held in July drastically changed power dynamics in parliament, as the centrist Ensemble coalition lost a multitude of seats to the New Popular Front leftist coalition.

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In a post on X published on Wednesday, National Rally leader Marine Le Pen expressed a desire to work with the next prime minister.

“We have been constructive from the start, and we will be with the next Prime Minister who will be required to propose a new budget,” Le Pen’s post, which was translated into English, read. “What we want is for our voters to be respected and their demands heard.”

The far-right politician also denied that she is explicitly asking Macron to resign.

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“On the other hand, there will come a time when, if we do not take the path of respect for voters and elections, then the pressure on the President of the Republic will be increasingly strong,” she said. “This decision is his.”