France plunges into a political crisis after PM Michel Barnier's govt ​loses no-confidence vote

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier became the country’s shortest-serving premier since 1958 after his government was toppled by a no-confidence motion

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier delivers a speech to announce the use by the French government of article 49.3, a special clause in the French Constitution, to push the budget bill through the National Assembly without a vote by lawmakers, during a debate on the 2025 Social Security Financing bill (PLFSS) at the National Assembly in Paris, France. File Image / Reuters

France plunged into a major political crisis after a no-confidence motion to bring down the government ousted the country’s Prime Minister Michel Barnier. The minority coalition led by the right-wing prime minister was toppled in just three months after a no-confidence motion was pushed by an alliance of left-wing parties supported by MPs from Marine Le Pen’s anti-immigration, far-right, National Rally.

In the voting process, which took place on Wednesday, a total of 331 lawmakers decided to bring down the government, indicating a clear majority. With this, Barnier is slated to resign as the French Prime Minister on Thursday. Ahead of the Wednesday voting, the premier warned that France would be “plunged into the unknown,” if his government is toppled.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron’s office said that the leader will deliver a televised address to the nation on Thursday. The toppling of the government has left Macron facing the worst political crisis of his two terms as the country’s president. There is also uncertainty over how a 2025 budget can be decided as the European nation faces a growing public deficit.

France witnessed a historic political crisis and a major dilemma

The Wednesday voting is significant because it was France’s first successful no-confidence vote since a defeat for Georges Pompidou’s government in 1962 when Charles de Gaulle was president. Not only this, but the brief tenure of Barnier’s government has also become the shortest of any administration of France’s Fifth Republic, which began in 1958.

Macron is now left with a major political dilemma since no new parliamentary elections can be called in the country before July 2025. This leaves the French leader with a narrow option to pick another PM from a deeply divided national assembly. It is important to note that Macron’s term as president will be ending in spring 2027. Before that, he is not obliged to step down.

In the past, the French president has ruled out resigning, calling such a scenario “political fiction”. But part of the left and far right have called for his exit. The French government was toppled months after Macron called a sudden and inconclusive snap election in June, leaving the country’s parliament radically divided.

While a left alliance took the largest number of votes but fell short of an absolute majority, Macron’s own centrist grouping suffered losses. Barnier, who is one of the EU’s former Brexit negotiators, was appointed by Macron in September after two months of political paralysis this summer.

His key task, which ultimately led to his downfall, was to vote through a budget for 2025 in which he pledged to tackle France’s deficit with €60bn in tax increases and spending cuts. After weeks of a political standoff, the French leader pushed through a social security financing bill, using Article 49.3 of the constitution. The clause allows the government to force through legislation without a vote in parliament.

The move angered the lawmakers, sparking a no-confidence motion brought by the left alliance, and another brought by the far right. While Barnier’s minority coalition was essentially propped up by Le Pen, she pulled back her support, saying that the French Prime Minister’s budget was a danger to the country.

It is pertinent to note that if the French parliament fails to pass a budget by December 20, the government can propose emergency legislation that would roll over spending limits and tax provisions from 2024. This will be in place until the arrival of a new government and a new budget in 2025.