On December 4 local time, French opposition lawmakers ousted the government through a vote of no confidence, pushing the European Union's (EU) second largest economic power deeper into a crisis that threatens its ability to legislate and control its huge budget deficit.
According to Reuters, far-right lawmakers from the right-wing National Rally (RN) party and the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF) party joined forces to support a motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Michel Barnier and the minority cabinet imposed by President Emmanuel Macron, with a majority of 331 votes in favor, exceeding the required 288 votes.
“I don’t consider it a victory,” former RN leader Marine Le Pen told French television TF1 after the vote. “We made a choice to protect the French people.”
“We are not doing it easily,” Ms Le Pen added. “There is no other solution.”
Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the NPF's largest party, said the result was “inevitable” and called on President Emmanuel Macron to resign.
“Even with Prime Minister Barnier every three months, President Macron would not last three years,” Mr. Melenchon wrote on X. However, the French President has ruled out the possibility of resigning.
President Macron appointed Barnier as prime minister in September, angering the NPF. The left-wing coalition won the most seats in parliament in a snap election last summer as part of a deal with the president to oust the RN. But Mr Macron then turned against the NPF in favour of a minority cabinet that relied on the RN’s tacit support.
Things have come to a head over the proposed social security budget, in which Chancellor Barnier has sought 40 billion euros ($41.87 billion) in spending cuts and 20 billion euros in tax increases to tackle a large deficit. The RN has threatened a no-confidence vote unless the cabinet makes some concessions on its “red lines.”
Ms Le Pen accused the prime minister of being “ultra-conservative and sectarian” in budget negotiations and gave Mr Barnier a deadline to meet RN demands, which Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin rejected.
There have been nearly 150 motions of no confidence since the Fifth Republic was established in 1958. Before 4 December, only one government had been toppled – that of Prime Minister Georges Pompidou, in October 1962.
Mr Barnier is likely to remain as caretaker prime minister until Mr Macron can appoint a replacement. The French president took nearly two months to do so after the July parliamentary elections. Another vote is not an option, as the French constitution prohibits that after at least a year.
