French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has been ousted in a dramatic no-confidence vote.
NaijaOnPoint Nigeria reports that French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has been ousted in a dramatic no-confidence vote, just three months into his tenure, throwing France into a political crisis.
This Nigeria news platform gathered that a total of 331 out of 577 lawmakers voted against Barnier’s fragile centrist government on Wednesday, making him the first prime minister to fall to such a motion since 1962.
The defeat comes after Barnier’s controversial decision to push through the 2025 budget using a constitutional loophole, bypassing a parliamentary vote—a move that triggered outrage across the political spectrum.
Barnier, a veteran centrist appointed by President Emmanuel Macron to lead a minority government after a fractured snap election in the summer, now holds the dubious distinction of being France’s shortest-serving prime minister.
His cabinet is expected to serve in a caretaker capacity until Macron appoints new leadership—a task fraught with challenges as the president faces mounting pressure from both the left and far-right factions of the National Assembly.
“Removing me will make everything more difficult,” Barnier warned during a tense debate in the National Assembly. “But I am not afraid.” His plea fell on deaf ears as opposition lawmakers from across the aisle united to bring him down, BBC also reports Wednesday night.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally and a key architect of Barnier’s downfall, took aim at both the prime minister and Macron during the heated session.
“His stubborn adherence to dogma and doctrine prevented him from making the slightest concession, which would have avoided this outcome,” Le Pen declared.
Le Pen, who has been a relentless adversary of Macron throughout his presidency, wasted no time shifting the spotlight to the embattled president. “It’s for his conscience to tell him if he can sacrifice public welfare and France’s future to his ego,” she added, underscoring the broader political struggle looming over the country.
The no-confidence vote marks a critical juncture for Macron, whose leadership is now under intense scrutiny as he grapples with an increasingly fragmented parliament and rising discontent across the nation.