Is West About to Get Another ‘Lame Duck’ President as French Gov’t Faces Collapse?
France has faced a protracted political crisis since President Emmanuel Macron dissolved the National Assembly (lower house of parliament) on June 9 and called snap elections after Marine Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally (RN) party’s triumph in the elections to the European Parliament.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, who formed a minority government in September after France’s snap parliamentary elections in summer, is now facing a no-confidence vote.
Here’s What Happened
Barnier used executive powers under Article 49.3 of the French constitution to force a bill on social security financing through parliament without a vote. The bill sought to deliver an estimated €60 billion ($62. 9 billion) in tax rises and spending cuts. Even after Barnier scrapped a previously planned hike in electricity tax and plans for a more stringent prescription drug reimbursement policy, the bill was rejected by the opposition parties.
Both the left-wing coalition NFP and Marine Le Pen’s right-wing National Rally (RN) party announced they would file separate censure motions, with the confidence vote presumably set for Wednesday.
Mathilde Panot, president of the left-wing opposition party France Unbowed (LFI), said on Monday that “We are now experiencing political chaos as a result of both Barnier’s government and Emmanuel Macron’s presidency.”
Marine Le Pen told reporters:
“The French have had enough… Maybe they thought with Michel Barnier things would get better, but they were even worse.”
What Will Happen Next?
If the no-confidence vote succeeds, Barnier will have to tender his resignation.
The French government can remain in caretaker capacity while President Emmanuel Macron faces the challenge of picking a new PM with cross-party appeal.