French PM faces first motion of no-confidence Article by Le Monde

The French newspaper Le Monde has published an article highlighting the ongoing political instability in France. Caliber.Az reprints the article.

France's new Prime Minister Michel Barnier, on October 8, faces a motion of no-confidence brought by the left, which is set to highlight the fragility of his government, even though it has little to no chance of succeeding.

Barnier, a right-wing former EU Brexit negotiator, was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron to bring some stability after inconclusive legislative elections earlier this summer. The veteran premier, 73, has since sought to firmly take the reins, warning that France faces a financial crisis if its budget deficit is not narrowed, and saying that tax hikes could be in order for high earners.

Macron, whose term runs until 2027, has, in recent weeks, taken a noticeable back seat, especially on domestic issues, while making uncharacteristically infrequent public comments. The appointment of Barnier has also been a contrast for the French. They have seen three premiers who were almost unknown before their appointment come and go in the space of four years.

Yet Barnier and his government, which was named last month with a conspicuously right-wing tinge, could be toppled at any moment if a no-confidence motion were passed in the Assemblée Nationale lower house of Parliament.

The left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) alliance won the most seats of any coalition in the polls – even if the far-right Rassemblement National (RN) emerged as the largest single party – and is still livid that Macron refused to appoint a leftist as prime minister.

"The existence of this government, in its composition and its orientation, is a negation of the result of the parliamentary elections," states the motion, which is due to be put forward by Socialist leader Olivier Faure. The left has also been angered by the hardline stances of the new interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, who has said there should be a referendum on immigration, although he admitted this was not possible under the constitution.

Give the product a chance

However, the motion put forward by the NFP – a coalition of Socialists, Communists, radical leftists and Greens – has little chance of succeeding, as the far-right MPs have made clear they will not back it on this occasion. "I think the situation is serious enough not to bring down this government before it has got going," said RN MP Laure Lavalette, speaking on the television channel France 2. "We are going to (...) give the product a chance. (...) We cannot add to the chaos as you (the left) are doing," she added.

However, the numbers could prove embarrassing for the Barnier government at this early stage, with some backing for the motion coming also from independents and even some dissenting members of Macron's centrist faction, unhappy at the prospect of tax increases.

Commentators have noted that the fate of Barnier's government risks being at the RN's mercy, vulnerable to a "sword of Damocles" wielded by Le Pen, who is expected to run for the presidency in 2027.

The prime minister, for his part, is well aware that he is walking on thin ice: "I know that I am in the hands of parliament," he told the newspaper La Tribune Dimanche.

By Vafa Guliyeva