French Solons Kick Out Prime Minister Barnier

In a historic upheaval, French lawmakers have voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government after just three months in power, deepening the country’s political crisis, French Radio RFI reported.

Barnier’s swift removal follows a summer of snap parliamentary elections that resulted in a hung parliament, with the far-right playing a pivotal role in determining the government’s fate. I Photo: Michel Barnier Facebook

For the first time in over six decades, the French National Assembly has removed an incumbent government by passing a no-confidence motion initiated by the hard left and supported by Marine Le Pen’s far-right bloc.

Barnier’s swift removal follows a summer of snap parliamentary elections that resulted in a hung parliament, with the far-right playing a pivotal role in determining the government’s fate.

President Emmanuel Macron now faces the challenging task of appointing a new prime minister, as more than two years remain in his presidential term.

The National Assembly’s no-confidence motion was triggered by discontent over next year’s austerity budget, following Barnier’s decision to bypass a vote on a critical social security bill earlier in the week. The motion, backed by the far right, passed with 331 out of 577 lawmakers voting to oust the government.