Michel Barnier forced to resign after French parliament passes no-confidence vote

The French National Assembly voted to pass a no-confidence resolution against the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier on December 4, marking a historic moment as it is the first time since 1962 that the French parliament has voted to overthrow a government.

The motion passed with 331 votes, far surpassing the 289 required for its approval, Caliber.Az reports via French media.

Following this vote, Barnier is now required to submit the resignation of his government to President Emmanuel Macron. National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet emphasized that the resignation must be delivered to the president.

Marine Le Pen, leader of the National Union party, commented that the political pressure on President Macron would grow as a result of this vote, though she did not call for his resignation. Le Pen placed much of the blame for the current political crisis on Macron but stopped short of demanding his immediate resignation.

This move was preceded by a statement from Jordan Bardella, head of the National Union party, on December 2, who had warned of a no-confidence vote unless there was a drastic change in the government’s approach. He had previously stated he did not expect any "miracle" after months of ignoring calls for action.

The no-confidence vote stemmed from concerns over the government’s handling of the social budget, particularly its decision to pass portions of the budget without proper consultation with the parliament. Both left-wing opposition factions and Le Pen’s party backed the motion.

On December 3, President Macron dismissed any calls for his resignation, calling them "political fiction" and reaffirming his intention to serve out his presidential term until 2027.

Michel Barnier, who was appointed as prime minister in early September 2024, had already faced a failed no-confidence vote in October when the parliament rejected an earlier attempt to remove his government.

By Tamilla Hasanova