Michel Barnier to Step Down as France’s Briefest-Serving Prime Minister

Paris (Eurotoday) – The French prime minister, Michel Barnier, is set to resign, a day after his government was toppled by a no-confidence vote just three months after it took office.

How did the no-confidence vote topple Barnier’s government?What are the implications of Barnier’s resignation for Macron?

Michel Barnier will resign as the shortest-serving prime minister in modern French history. A French government has not undergone a loss of confidence in parliament since 1962, with Georges Pompidou at its helm. The president would address the nation on Thursday evening, the Elysée stated.

How did the no-confidence vote topple Barnier’s government?

Michel Barnier’s eviction comes after snap parliamentary elections this summer, which left a hung parliament with no overall majority, the far right holding a hung parliament with no party having an overall majority and the far right holding the crucial to the government’s survival.

The no-confidence move, brought by the hard left in the National Assembly, came amid a deadlock over next year’s austerity budget after the prime minister forced through a social security financing bill without a vote.

With the critical support of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, a bulk of 331 MPs in the 577-member chamber voted to expel the government. The National Rally leader, Marine Le Pen, stated, “We had a choice to make, and our choice is to protect the French” from a “toxic” budget. Le Pen also accused Macron of being “largely responsible for the current situation,” adding that “the pressure on the president of the Republic will get stronger and stronger.”

What are the implications of Barnier’s resignation for Macron?

Emmanuel Macron now confronts growing calls to resign, but he has a mandate until 2027 and cannot be pushed out. According to experts, France now risks concluding the year without a stable government or a 2025 budget, although the constitution permits special measures that would prevent a U.S.-style government shutdown. France’s political unrest will further weaken a European Union already spinning from the implosion of Germany’s coalition government, weeks before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Last News

Report: German Parliament President Targeted by Signal Hack

Report: German Parliament President Targeted by Signal Hack

Cybercriminals infiltrated a messaging app on the phone of Julia Klöckner, the President of the German Bundestag, as reported by Der Spiegel. Klöckner is among the victims of a recent phishing cyberattack on Signal, amidst wider attacks on European politicians. She was part of a Signal group chat with executive board members of the conservative Christian Democratic Union, including Chancellor Frie

Read More

Sergei Lavrov Uses Mother’s Surname, Conceals "Second Family" Claims Navalny’s Team

Sergei Lavrov Uses Mother’s Surname, Conceals "Second Family" Claims Navalny’s Team

In March, Sergey Lavrov, the seasoned Russian Foreign Minister, celebrated his 76th birthday, marking a noteworthy age for someone still active in politics.
Lavrov’s childhood, born on March 21, 1950, in Moscow, remains somewhat enigmatic as his official biography provides limited details. It is believed that his father was an Armenian from Tbilisi named Viktor Kalantarov (or Kalantaryan).

Read More

EU Leaders Tackle Iran Conflict Impact and Energy Shocks – Live Updates

EU Leaders Tackle Iran Conflict Impact and Energy Shocks – Live Updates

EU leaders are gathering in Cyprus on Thursday and Friday to address the situation in Iran, the resulting energy crisis, broader security issues, and the bloc’s upcoming long-term budget.

Read More

Laziness Accelerates Aging: Penguins as Evidence

Laziness Accelerates Aging: Penguins as Evidence

Scientists have found that laziness accelerates biological aging. Inactive individuals experience faster bodily deterioration.
They may be well-fed and secure, but they biologically age faster. A new study provides intriguing insights into longevity. What can we learn from penguins?
Longevity is often linked to supplements, diagnostics, or biohacking. However, an intriguing discovery comes from k

Read More

Nephew of Eni Founder Threatens to Sue Meloni Government Over Multibillion Africa Strategy

Nephew of Eni Founder Threatens to Sue Meloni Government Over Multibillion Africa Strategy

BRUSSELS — A descendant of the founder of the Italian oil company Eni is considering legal action against Giorgia Meloni’s government for using his family name in a significant funding initiative targeted at the African continent, as reported by the Italian media on Wednesday.
The Italian newspaper La Stampa reported that Pietro Mattei sent a cease and desist letter to the office of Italian

Read More

The clock is ticking on the EU’s next budget

The clock is ticking on the EU’s next budget

Brussels is facing a limited window to secure an agreement on its upcoming long-term budget.
EU leaders are meeting in Cyprus this week for a potentially contentious discussion on the bloc’s €1.8 trillion plan, which is already causing divisions between the north and south, farmers and reformers, and national capitals and Brussels. Council President Antonio Costa is pushing for progress. However,

Read More

Saudi Arabia: Silent Executions Amid Global Applause

Saudi Arabia: Silent Executions Amid Global Applause

Behind the modern image of reform, the death penalty in Saudi Arabia has intensified.
Over 2,000 executions have occurred in 10 years, according to Human Rights Watch.
A man in a Saudi prison awaits execution without understanding the language of his judgment or having proper legal access. His name will vanish into statistics.
2,000+ Executions in 10 Years:

1,000 in 6 years
Next 1,000 in 4 years

Read More

British Intelligence: Spyware in 100 Countries Capable of Hacking the UK

British Intelligence: Spyware in 100 Countries Capable of Hacking the UK

The NCSC reported that spyware targets have expanded, now increasingly including bankers and wealthy executives. U.K. cyber officials and government ministers will use the CYBERUK conference to emphasize a rise in nationally significant cyberattacks on Britain, noting that most incidents are linked to nation-state attackers rather than criminal gangs. Richard Horne, the agency’s chief executive, w

Read More

EU to Reduce Venice Biennale Funding Due to Russia’s Participation, Kallas States

EU to Reduce Venice Biennale Funding Due to Russia’s Participation, Kallas States

The Venice Biennale, a leading global art exhibition, will include Russia for the first time since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, drawing significant criticism across Europe.
Latvia’s Culture Minister Agnese Lāce, who led a group of 25 European countries advocating for Russia’s exclusion, stated she will boycott the May 9 opening if Russia participates.
Latvia’s Ministry of Culture argued tha

Read More

Ukraine Repairs Druzhba Pipeline, Zelenskyy Announces

Ukraine Repairs Druzhba Pipeline, Zelenskyy Announces

The pipeline, which ceased oil transport from Russia to Central Europe after being damaged by a Russian strike in January, became central to a dispute between Ukraine and Hungary. Hungary, heavily reliant on Russian oil, accused Ukraine of delaying repairs and vetoed a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine, approved by EU leaders in December.
Zelenskyy’s announcement clears the way for Hungary to lift i

Read More