France in the crisis: Barnier falls - who will be the next prime minister?

France in the crisis: Barnier falls - who will be the next prime minister?

In a sensational political shock, the French government under Prime Minister Michel Barnier was overthrown on December 5, 2024 by a vote of no confidence. This is the first time since 1962 that a French government fails due to such a vote. The dispute over painful savings in the social budget led to a vote in which a majority of 332 MPs of the National Assembly voted against Barniers budget plan, as the wSws reported. Barnier, who was only appointed in September, holds the record for the shortest term of office of a French prime minister.

President Emmanuel Macron, who returned to vote immediately after a state visit to Saudi Arabia, is now faced with the urgent task of appointing a new head of government. A new election could take place in July 2025 at the earliest, while the failed government can temporarily remain in office to regulate ongoing business. With his budget proposal, Barnier had tried to push the budget deficit from six percent to five percent, but this met with loud criticism from left and right, as many social programs had to fall by the wayside, like the Kleine Zeitung wrote.

disaster for macron