The government is under heavy criticism from the opposition and the French after it failed to block approval of the EU trade deal in a vote on Friday, with far-right and left-wing parties submitting motions of no confidence.
According to what was announced, the left-wing party Insubordinate France (LFI) testified against the government, while the far-right National Rally (RN) announced that it will also proceed with a similar move, but against the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels.
Heavy political costs for Macron – Lecorny from the motions of no confidence
These moves underline the high domestic political cost facing the government of President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Sebastien Lecorny from the agreement with the South American countries, at a time when the government is still trying to pass the delayed 2026 budget through the fragmented and marginally hostile parliament.
Although it is considered unlikely that the RN and LFI parties will gather the necessary votes to topple Prime Minister Lecorny’s government, their moves are yet another indication that the political balance in Macron’s France is extremely delicate recently and ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Profits for the far right?
It is important that analysts even estimate that the agreement with Mercosur could strengthen the prospects of Le Pen and the far right in the upcoming elections, as a significant part of the farmers affected by it are expected to turn there.
France voted against the deal with Mercosur, but the treaty only requires a qualified majority of EU member states to be signed by the European Commission, after which it must be ratified by the European Parliament.
RN president Jordan Bardela described Macron’s vote as “purely communicative”, calling it a “betrayal of French farmers”, while Marine Le Pen called on the French president to threaten to suspend France’s contribution to the European Union budget.
The head of the LFI parliamentary group, Mathilde Panot, said France had been “humiliated” by Brussels and on the international stage, writing on Platform X that “Lecorny and Macron must go”.
Lecorny: Motions of no confidence weaken France
The prime minister responded that the no-confidence motions send a negative message abroad at a time when France should be persuading other European states, while also delaying budget negotiations. “Filing a motion of no confidence in this context means weakening France’s voice instead of showing national unity in defense of our agriculture,” Lecourtny said in a post.
France secured significant concessions from Brussels to protect the agricultural sector from the effects of the deal. But despite the benefits that will accrue to major French industries — such as wine, cheese and dairy producers — livestock farmers, who make up about a third of French farmers, have managed to mobilize much of the public against the deal.
