Administration first to be ousted in a no-confidence vote since 1962

The deputies of the French National Assembly voted on the evening of Dec 4 in favor of a no-confidence vote, forcing Prime Minister Michel Barnier to resign and his government to collapse.

A total of 331 deputies, mostly from left-wing parties alliance New Popular Front (NFP) and far-right party National Rally (RN), have voted in favor, well over the 289 votes requested for the no-confidence vote to go through.

According to the French Constitution, Barnier now needs to hand in his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron. The resignation will be automatically considered as accepted.

Speaking to lawmakers before the vote, Barnier defended his decision to use special powers to force through a social security budget on Dec 2.

“I made this decision after having demonstrated the spirit of listening, respect, and dialogue, which led the government to improve its text every day on several important points,” he said.

Pointing out that France is plunged into an enormous deficit, Barnier said: “This reality remains there, it will not disappear by the magic of a no-confidence vote.”

“This reality will remind any government, whatever it may be,” he added.

Following the announcement of the success of the no-confidence vote, former far-right party leader Marine Le Pen said that she would not consider the vote a “victory.”

“The choice we made is to protect the French,” Le Pen told French television TF1, adding that there was “no other solution than this solution.”

Macron announced on June 9 the dissolution of the National Assembly, following the defeat of his party in the 2024 European Parliament elections.

He nominated Barnier as prime minister, a move that was criticized by the left-wing parties, who expected an NFP candidate in line with the legislative election results.

With Barnier’s government collapsed, France now faces again the challenge of needing an approved budget for 2025 within less than one month.

French news channel BFMTV reported that the president would nominate a new prime minister “within the following 24 hours,” since he would not want to face cameras in front of the whole world without a government when he inaugurates the restored Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

As Macron already dissolved the lower house in June, he can no longer play the same card until June 2025. The French National Assembly remains without an absolute majority.

France is going through a critical period. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has projected that France’s economic growth is set to slow from 1.1 percent in 2024 to 0.9 percent in 2025.

In its latest economic outlook, the OECD warned that if the budget for 2025 is not adopted, political uncertainty would bear down on the recovery.

“Additionally, weaker-than-expected inflation and economic growth could reduce tax revenues, threatening the government’s ability to meet its 5 percent deficit target,” it added.

According to the estimation of the OECD, France’s fiscal deficit is anticipated to rise to 6.1 percent of its gross domestic product in 2024, up from 5.5 percent in 2023.

Barnier has become the first French prime minister forced to step down by a no-confidence vote since 1962. Returning from an official visit to Saudi Arabia, Macron was expected to address the nation on the evening of Dec 5.