French lawmakers are in the final stages of deliberations to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government through a no-confidence motion set for Wednesday. If successful, Barnier would become the first French prime minister forced out by such a vote.
Political unrest in France is reportedly at an all-time high as the nation grapples with a massive budget deficit.
In a rare alliance, the far-right and far-left factions in parliament, representing the eurozone’s second-largest economy, have united in support of the no-confidence vote. This development leaves Barnier with slim to no chance of retaining his position as government leader.
“We have arrived at the moment of truth,” Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally, declared during the parliamentary debate on the motion.
Eric Coquerel, a lawmaker from the hard-left France Unbowed party, addressed Barnier directly, saying, “You will be the first prime minister to be censured since Georges Pompidou in 1962.”
According to sources from President Macron’s camp and parliamentary insiders, should the vote succeed, Macron is expected to name a new prime minister swiftly, possibly before the grand reopening of Paris’s Notre-Dame Cathedral this weekend.
