The Prime Minister of France, Michel Barnier, received a vote of no confidence from the National Assembly this Wednesday (4) and will need to present his resignation from his position and that of his entire cabinet to President Emmanuel Macron. With this, the Barnier government will be the second of the Fifth Republic to be overthrown – Georges Pompidou suffered the same process in 1962.
According to the newspaper Le Monde, the prime minister’s resignation is automatic after the vote of no confidence, in accordance with article 50 of the Constitution.
The motion of censure presented by the Nova Frente Popular received the approval of 331 deputies, well above the majority of 288 votes needed.
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In addition to, in practice, the government being overthrown, the Social Security financing bill for 2025 was rejected.
Barnier is a veteran conservative and served as prime minister for just three months.
The outcome of the vote is expected to deepen France’s political crisis and marks a significant blow for the European Union at a time when Germany is also mired in a parliamentary election campaign in February and weeks before Donald Trump returns to the White House.
