PARIS (Reuters) – French parliamentarians will vote on Wednesday (04) on a motion of no confidence that is expected to bring down Michel Barnier’s fragile coalition, deepening the political crisis in the euro zone’s second largest economy.
It would be the first French government to be forced out by a vote of no confidence in more than 60 years, at a time when the country is struggling to control a huge budget deficit.
The debate is scheduled to begin at 4pm (12pm Brasília) on Wednesday (04) and voting will take place around three hours later, according to Parliament authorities. President Emmanuel Macron, who is on a state visit to Saudi Arabia, will return to France that day.
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The collapse of the government would leave a hole in the heart of Europe, with Germany also in an election period, weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.
After weeks of tension, the political crisis came to a head when Barnier, who has been prime minister for just three months, said he would try to get the social security part of the budget passed in Parliament without a vote, after failing to get the support from Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party.
Barnier’s entourage and Le Pen’s group, which had been supporting the minority coalition, blamed each other and said they had done their best to reach an agreement to reduce benefit spending and were open to dialogue.
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“Censoring the budget is for us the only way the constitution gives us to protect the French,” Le Pen told reporters as she arrived at Parliament on Tuesday.
The left and far right together have enough votes to oust Barnier, and Le Pen confirmed that her party would vote on a measure of no confidence in a left-wing alliance. RN’s own motion of no confidence would not have the support of a sufficient number of parliamentarians.
Finance Minister Antoine Armand told France 2 TV that politicians had a responsibility “not to plunge the country into uncertainty”.
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If the vote of no confidence actually passes, Barnier will have to tender his resignation, but Macron could ask him to remain in a caretaker role while he searches for a new prime minister, which could not happen until next year.
Regarding the budget, if Parliament has not adopted it by December 20, the interim government could propose special emergency legislation to review this year’s spending limits and fiscal provisions. But that would mean that Barnier’s planned savings measures would be left aside.
(Additional reporting by Nicolas Delame)