A new political crisis in France
On December 4 this year, the lower house of the French parliament (the National Assembly) voted for a resolution of no confidence in the government led by Michel Barnier after he tried to impose an austerity budget to reduce the country’s enormous deficit.
The vote in the Cabinet of Ministers was supported by 331 deputies. ,,In accordance with the French Constitution, Michel Barnier will have to submit his resignation to the President of the Republic’’, said Yaël Braun-Pivet, the president of the National Assembly.
To announce a vote of no confidence, at least 289 of the 577 deputies must vote in favor of such a decision in the session.
Once Barnier officially resigns, he will become the shortest-serving prime minister in the history of the modern French Republic and the first to be dismissed by parliament since 1962.
As the crisis, triggered in part by President Emmanuel Macron’s call for early elections this summer, reaches its peak, the French leader finds himself in a completely unexpected position. He will now have to take over the entire leadership of the country, starting with proposing a new prime minister and combating the political instability that has gripped France.
It will not be a simple task to form a new government that enjoys the support of a parliament divided by three parts, and dissolving it is not an option, as Macron can only call new early elections starting with the summer of 2025.
France may enter the new year without a budget in place, with Barnier remaining as interim prime minister and implementing emergency laws since the budget deficit is estimated at 6.1% of GDP.
