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French Government Ousted in No-Confidence Vote
France’s government was ousted after lawmakers voted in favor of a no-confidence motion on Wednesday.
The National Assembly passed the no-confidence motion with 331 votes, surpassing the 288-vote simple majority needed.
This is the first time in six decades that a government of the Fifth Republic has fallen in such fashion.
The move has set the eurozone’s second-biggest economy sailing on a course bound for political and economic turbulence.
The no-confidence vote removes Michel Barnier from his role as prime minister. French President Emmanuel Macron had appointed Barnier to the position in September.
Barnier encountered resistance in the weeks that followed as he parched for a financial plan aimed at curbing France’s budget deficit. In a last appeal before the vote, Barnier said the deficit “will not disappear by the magic of a motion of censure.”
In an unusual turn of events, both the left and right united in a political pincer movement on Macron’s centrist allies, led by Barnier, accusing the prime minister of failing to address citizens’ needs while imposing austerity measures.
Now that the Barnier government has fallen, Macron must appoint a new prime minister, but the divided parliament will still have the same makeup, making political stasis in Paris highly likely, as no new legislative elections can be held until July 2025 at the earliest.
Though this does not mean France risks a U.S.-style government shutdown, it may rattle the financial markets, further damaging the nation’s already fraught economic situation.
His draft budget sought to cut the deficit, which is projected to exceed 6 percent of France’s GDP this year, with 60 billion euros ($63 billion) in tax hikes and spending cuts to drag the deficit down to 5 percent next year.
The incoming caretaker government could put forward emergency legislation to roll over spending limits and tax provisions from this year, but that would mean Barnier’s savings measures falling by the wayside and the deficit not being addressed.
The European Union advises member states not to let their fiscal deficits rise above 3 percent of GDP.
Macron, who won a second term in 2022, attempted to avoid this crisis by calling a snap parliamentary election in June.
His term runs until mid-2027, and he cannot be ousted by parliament but is likely to face serious opposition on both his left and right flanks, with the RN and the New Popular Front already calling for his resignation.
Macron has vowed to remain in the Elysee Palace for the duration of his term.
France’s government was ousted after lawmakers voted in favor of a no-confidence motion on Wednesday.
The National Assembly passed the no-confidence motion with 331 votes, surpassing the 288-vote simple majority needed.
This is the first time in six decades that a government of the Fifth Republic has fallen in such fashion.
The move has set the eurozone’s second-biggest economy sailing on a course bound for political and economic turbulence.
The no-confidence vote removes Michel Barnier from his role as prime minister. French President Emmanuel Macron had appointed Barnier to the position in September.
Barnier encountered resistance in the weeks that followed as he parched for a financial plan aimed at curbing France’s budget deficit. In a last appeal before the vote, Barnier said the deficit “will not disappear by the magic of a motion of censure.”
In an unusual turn of events, both the left and right united in a political pincer movement on Macron’s centrist allies, led by Barnier, accusing the prime minister of failing to address citizens’ needs while imposing austerity measures.
Now that the Barnier government has fallen, Macron must appoint a new prime minister, but the divided parliament will still have the same makeup, making political stasis in Paris highly likely, as no new legislative elections can be held until July 2025 at the earliest.
Though this does not mean France risks a U.S.-style government shutdown, it may rattle the financial markets, further damaging the nation’s already fraught economic situation.
His draft budget sought to cut the deficit, which is projected to exceed 6 percent of France’s GDP this year, with 60 billion euros ($63 billion) in tax hikes and spending cuts to drag the deficit down to 5 percent next year.
The incoming caretaker government could put forward emergency legislation to roll over spending limits and tax provisions from this year, but that would mean Barnier’s savings measures falling by the wayside and the deficit not being addressed.
The European Union advises member states not to let their fiscal deficits rise above 3 percent of GDP.
Macron, who won a second term in 2022, attempted to avoid this crisis by calling a snap parliamentary election in June.
His term runs until mid-2027, and he cannot be ousted by parliament but is likely to face serious opposition on both his left and right flanks, with the RN and the New Popular Front already calling for his resignation.
Macron has vowed to remain in the Elysee Palace for the duration of his term.
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