French lawmakers from the far right and left came together to vote Wednesday on a motion of no confidence driven by budget disputes that forced Prime Minister Michel Barnier to resign.
The National Assembly approved the motion by 331 votes. A minimum of 288 were needed.
President Emmanuel Macron has insisted that he will serve the remainder of his term until 2027. However, he will have to appoint a new prime minister for the second time after July legislative elections led to a deeply divided Parliament.
Macron turned to Barnier in September to break the deadlock and remedy France’s growing deficit. Yet Barnier’s proposed austerity budget – cutting spending by €40 billion and raising taxes by €20 billion – has only deepened divisions, stoking tensions in the lower house and triggering this dramatic political confrontation.
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Barnier on Monday invoked a rarely used constitutional mechanism to push through the controversial 2025 budget without parliamentary approval, arguing it was essential to maintain “stability” amid deep political divisions.
The use of the constitutional tool, called article 49.3, allows the government to adopt laws without a parliamentary vote but exposes it to motions of censure. Opposition leaders say Barnier’s concessions, including scrapping electricity tax hikes, do not go far enough to address their concerns. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen accused Barnier of ignoring her party’s demands.
“Everyone must take responsibility,” she said.
The political impasse has destabilized financial markets, with borrowing costs rising sharply due to fears of prolonged instability. Barnier warned of “serious turbulence” if the budget is not passed, but critics dismissed his remarks as alarmist.