The French government collapsed on Wednesday after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote. President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation on Thursday night, amidst speculation over his own future and potential early presidential elections.
The French government collapsed on Wednesday after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote, with 331 MPs voting in favor of the motion. \n\nThe presidency stated that Barnier had resigned his post but would remain in office on a caretaker basis until a new government is appointed. \n\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation on Thursday night, a day after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted. \n\nNames for a new prime minister have been swirling, including Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, and centrist former presidential candidate François Bayrou. However, finding a name that would not immediately be shot down by one of the large parliamentary factions could take some time. \n\nThe budget presented by Barnier, which included €60bn (£49bn) in deficit reduction, was deemed unacceptable by both Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) and the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP). \nThe presidency said on Thursday that Barnier had resigned his post, but would remain in office on a caretaker basis with his ministers until a new government was appointed. \n\nMacron is constitutionally unaffected by Barnier’s resignation. However, many opposition politicians are increasingly open about wanting to force him to resign and call early presidential elections – something Macron has insisted is off the cards.
