French National Assembly advances impeachment motion against Macron

The National Assembly of France has taken the initial steps toward impeachment proceedings against President Emmanuel Macron, following a draft resolution approved by the Assembly's Bureau.

The motion for impeachment was put forward by the far-left party La France Insoumise (LFI) and passed its first round of scrutiny on September 17, with 12 out of 22 committee members voting in favour of advancing the process, Caliber.Az reports, citing French media.

Despite this initial approval, the motion is widely expected to fail. Political observers note that the proposal lacks broad support in the Assemblée Nationale, and France's Senate is unlikely to back the motion either. Even allies of LFI, including members of the Socialist Party, have indicated they will not support the move to impeach Macron.

The development marks a rare attempt to remove a sitting French president, though its ultimate success remains highly improbable.

The rules for bringing forward an impeachment motion (procédure de destitution) against the French president are set out in Article 68 of the Constitution of the Fifth Republic.

It requires signatures from 60 or more MPs sitting in the Assemblée nationale (one-tenth of the chamber) to be officially brought forward – the motion from the LFI garnered over 80.

Alternatively, it can be brought forward in the Senate, also needing one-tenth of Senators (around 35) to sign the motion.