France’s minority government survives a no-confidence vote, 2 weeks after taking office

PARIS (AP) — France’s minority government survived a no-confidence vote on Tuesday, two weeks after taking office, getting over the first hurdle placed by left-wing lawmakers to bring down new conservative Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

The vote was a key test for Barnier, whose Cabinet is forced to rely on the far right’s good will to be able to stay in power, as the nation grapples with economic challenges exacerbated by global inflation.

The no-confidence motion was brought by a left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, composed of the hard-left France Unbowed, Socialists, Greens and Communists. It received 197 votes, far from the 289 votes needed to pass.

Following the June-July parliamentary elections, the National Assembly, France’s powerful lower house of parliament, is divided into three major blocs: the New Popular Front, Macron’s centrist allies and the far-right National Rally party. None of them won an outright majority.

The far-right National Rally group, which counts 125 lawmakers, abstained from voting the no-confidence motion. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, herself a lawmaker, said she decided to “give a chance” to the government for now.

Barnier’s Cabinet is mostly composed of members of his Republicans party and centrists from French President Emmanuel Macron’s alliance who altogether count just over 210 lawmakers.

Left-wing lawmakers denounced the choice of Barnier as prime minister as they were not given a chance to form a minority government, despite securing the most seats at the National Assembly. This government “is a denial of the result of the most recent legislative elections,” the motion read.

Olivier Faure, head of the Socialist Party, denounced a “democratic hijacking,” adding that “on July 7, it was the New Popular Front that came out on top.”

Barnier strongly rejected Faure’s accusations his government is “illegitimate.”

“I don’t need the government to be reminded it’s a minority one,” Barnier said. “Nobody has an absolute majority.”

The new government is soon to face its biggest challenge as Barnier made a priority of remedying France’s indebted public finances.

“The reality we have to tell the French is that we are spending too much… This cannot go on,” Barnier said.

“We must fix the (state) budget, reduce our public spending, and we will indeed be asking for an exceptional tax from companies and the wealthiest French people... It’s always better to seek to be responsible rather than popular.”

France is under pressure from the European Union’s executive body to reduce its colossal debt.

The country was placed earlier this year by the EU’s executive arm under a formal procedure for running up excessive debt, the first step in a long process before any member state can be hemmed in and moved to take corrective action.

In his inaugural speech to parliament last week, Barnier said he will seek to reduce France’s deficit from an estimated 6% of Gross Domestic Product now to 5% next year through a 60 billion ($66 billion) budget squeeze, with the aim to reach 3% by 2029.

To do so, he promised to cut state expenses, spend money more “efficiently” and fight tax evasion and other frauds.

The government is to formally present its 2025 budget bill on Thursday, ahead of an expected heated debated at parliament, as labor unions and left-wing opposition parties prepare to push back against some austerity measures.