Thu Dec 05 18:12:52 UTC 2024: ## French Government Collapses After No-Confidence Vote; Macron to Address Nation
**PARIS** – France is facing a major political crisis after Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government was ousted in a no-confidence vote on Wednesday, the first such event in over 60 years. A combined effort by the far-right National Rally (RN) and the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) led to the 331-vote defeat, surpassing the 288 needed to pass the motion. The vote centered on Barnier’s controversial budget, which included €60 billion (£49 billion) in deficit reduction measures and was passed using special powers without a parliamentary vote.
Barnier resigned following the vote, though he will remain in a caretaker role until a new government is formed. President Emmanuel Macron, constitutionally unaffected by the change, will address the nation on Thursday night. The search for a new prime minister is underway, with several names circulating, including Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, and centrist François Bayrou. However, finding a candidate acceptable to the fragmented parliament is proving challenging, potentially mirroring the two-month caretaker period following the previous government crisis.
While RN leader Marine Le Pen publicly stopped short of calling for Macron’s resignation, many within her party are openly hoping for early presidential elections. One advisor described Macron as a “fallen republican monarch.” However, such elections are not possible until July, leaving France in a state of political limbo until then. The ongoing instability highlights the deep divisions within the French political landscape and the challenges facing President Macron.
First Piper 