French MPs bring in a notification of no confidence against the government

French MPs bring in a notification of no confidence against the government

On Monday, French MPs brought in a request for no confidence against Prime Minister Michel Barnier. This could lead to the extreme right of falling its government within a few days.

budget draft for 2025 under pressure

The application was submitted after Barnier tried to adopt part of the budget of his cabinet for 2025. This includes tax increases and patterns of 60 billion euros ($ 62.8 billion), which aim to reduce the deficit to 5 % next year and to be in accordance with European guidelines until the end of the decade.

procedure for bypass the vote

Barnier, who was employed in September as a leader of a minority government supported by centrists and conservative, tried to enact the budget with a constitutional clause that allows him to avoid a coordination in parliament. However, this procedure gives the MPs the opportunity to submit suspicions against him - and that is exactly what the MPs of the left, who had already announced several times, did so.

expected coordination

A provision of voting is expected on Wednesday. "This is a power game too much of an illegitimate government," wrote Mathilde Panot, a member of the left, on social media. She also warned the French President Emmanuel Macron: "We brought in a motion for no confidence. Barnier’s case is a decided thing. Macron will be the next."

political instability and consequences

If the application should be accepted, France would fall into a political chaos. In the short term, the draft budget would be rejected, and Barnier and his ministers would remain in a managing function until Macron could appoint a new prime minister.

A government collapse would also unsettle the financial markets, as there are concerns whether the second largest economy in Europe has both the fiscal discipline and the political will to get their finances under control. A budget deficit of 6.1 % of GDP is expected for 2024, more than the double of the amount permitted by the European Commission.

market risks and political reactions

"We will support this application for no confidence because the French have enough of being treated badly. They thought it would change with Barnier, but it got worse," Le Pen told journalists on Monday. Last week she set a deadline until Monday to react to her party's demands.