French government stays afloat as far-right declines to support no-confidence vote

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier successfully navigated the first challenge of his new administration on October 8, as a leftist no-confidence motion fell short of the required votes to dissolve his centre-right government.

Barnier was appointed to the role by President Emmanuel Macron last month following a snap election that resulted in a fragmented hung parliament, Caliber.Az reports via French media.

His government, which relies on support from the far-right, faces strong opposition from left-wing lawmakers, who initiated the no-confidence motion on October 4.

The motion was always unlikely to succeed, as it required backing from the far-right National Rally (RN) party to secure the necessary votes - a commitment that RN members had indicated they were not prepared to make.

Ultimately, 197 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion, far short of the 289 votes needed for it to pass.

“The motion has not been adopted,” announced Yaël Braun-Pivet, the speaker and president of the parliament.

Attention now turns to Barnier's inaugural budget proposal, set to be revealed on October 10. Analysts anticipate that it may include substantial tax increases and spending cuts amounting to approximately €60 billion ($ 65.9 billion) to address an expanding deficit. Securing approval for the budget bill will present Barnier with another significant challenge early in his term.

After Barnier recently outlined his government's policy framework, Marine Le Pen of the RN stated her intention to "give a chance" to the Prime Minister while also setting clear boundaries, including the condition that any tax hikes must be counterbalanced by increased spending power for lower—and middle-income families.

By Aghakazim Guliyev