France’s Prime Minister Michel Barnier has been ousted following a no-confidence vote in Parliament overnight.
Barnier has been the Prime Minister for three months, meaning it will be shortest prime ministerial term in French modern history.
He is also the first French Prime Minister to lose a no-confidence vote since 1962.
Context
France has a President, the highest office in the country, and a Prime Minister, the second-highest office. The two are elected separately. The Prime Minister leads the Parliament, which includes the National Assembly and the Senate.
Earlier this year, President Macron called a snap election for the Assembly, which is the lower house. This came after his party performed poorly at the European Parliament elections. This doesn’t directly impact France’s parliament, but was seen as an indicator of dwindling support.
France’s Prime Minister
The result of France’s election in June and July left the lower house divided between a left-wing bloc, Macron’s coalition, and right-wing parties. None of these groups gained enough seats to win an outright majority.
Following weeks of negotiations, Macron appointed 73-year-old Michel Barnier – part of conservative party Les Republicains – to lead a coalition of centrist parties as Prime Minister.
In the past, he has held high-level Cabinet roles, and helped negotiate the UK’s exit from the European Union (Brexit).
Budget
Barnier has had to negotiate with parties across the political spectrum since coming to office.
In October, he handed down a budget, which would have included €60 billion ($AU100 billion) in tax rises and spending cuts. Backlash ensued over some of the measures, including lifting taxes on electricity.
Although Barnier dropped the electricity tax, he ended up using a constitutional power to force the budget through Parliament due to its lack of support.
No confidence
After Barnier forced the budget through Parliament, MPs called for a no-confidence motion.
A no-confidence motion is passed when a majority of MPs have lost confidence in the government’s ability to proceed.
Left and right-leaning parties teamed up to oust Barnier with 331 votes, more than the 288 majority needed.
He has now resigned after three months, making him the shortest-serving PM since France’s current parliamentary system began in 1958.
What now?
Barnier’s budget now won’t go ahead due to another constitutional rule.
Macron will now need to appoint a new prime minister and re-organise the coalition government.
Barnier will likely remain as PM until a replacement is found.
Elections for the French Parliament can’t be held until mid-2025, meaning a deadlock is likely to continue.
Reaction
Addressing the National Assembly after the no-confidence motion, Barnier said it had been “an honour to have served France and the French with dignity”.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, said her party had voted for the motion to “protect the French people from this budget”.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who leads left-wing coalition New Popular Front, called the vote “inevitable” and said President Macron “will not last three years”.
The President’s term ends in 2027.
A spokesperson for Barnier’s party, Les Republicains, criticised the leaders of the left and right for spearheading the PM’s removal.
“The left obeys Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who only seeks to provoke chaos, and Marine Le Pen has chosen to support him tonight.”
Macron is due to address the French people at 8pm (local time).
