If Michel Barnier loses the confidence vote, as widely anticipated, he will hold the dubious distinction of being the shortest-serving prime minister in modern French history.
The EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron in September, tasked with the near-impossible challenge of pushing through a slimmed-down budget without having a parliamentary majority.
Barnier is scheduled to appear on French television Tuesday evening, likely making a final plea to lawmakers to reconsider and avoid bringing down the government.
Should parliament move forward with a vote of no confidence, it would mark the first time a French government has faced such a defeat since 1962—a historic political setback.
Report contribution by Sarah Paillou.
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