Macron to address the nation after Barnier government falls
French President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation on Thursday night, a day after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote.
The president said Thursday that Barnier had resigned from his post but would remain in office on a caretaker basis along with his ministers until a new government is appointed.
Names circulating for the new prime minister include Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau and centrist former presidential candidate François Bayrou.
But finding a name that is not immediately rejected by any of the major parliamentary factions may take some time, as was the case over the summer, when former Prime Minister Gabriel Atal stepped in as caretaker for two months.
Just three months after he was appointed by Macron, Barnier’s government fell after lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in support of a motion against him.
Wednesday night’s vote was the first time a French government was toppled by parliament in more than 60 years.
Both Marine Le Pen’s far-right and leftist New Popular Front united to condemn Barnier’s government after the former Brexit negotiator used special powers to pass his budget without a vote.
A total of 331 votes were cast in support of the motion, far more than the 288 required for it to pass.
Barnier tendered his government’s resignation after the vote, while the budget that led to his downfall was automatically withdrawn.
Macron as president is constitutionally unaffected by Barnier’s resignation.
But many opposition politicians are speaking openly about their desire to force him to resign and calling early presidential elections – something Macron has insisted is out of the cards.
The New Popular Front (NFP), the leftist coalition that won the most seats in the parliamentary elections, had earlier criticized Macron’s decision to appoint centrist Barnier on his own candidate as Prime Minister.
Together Far-right National Rally (RN)It deemed Barnier’s budget – which included €60bn (£49bn) for deficit reduction – unacceptable.
RN leader Marine Le Pen said the budget was “toxic for the French”.
Before the vote, Barnier told the National Assembly that removing him from office would not solve the country’s financial problems.
“We have reached a moment of truth and responsibility,” he said. “We need to look at the realities of our debt,” he said.
“I didn’t introduce tough measures almost exclusively because I wanted to.”
In an interview with French broadcaster TF1 on Wednesday, Le Pen said there was “no other solution” other than removing Barnier.
Asked about the French presidency’s prospects, she said, “I am not calling for Emmanuel Macron’s resignation.”
However, many of his colleagues are openly hoping that they can force him to resign. RN adviser Philippe Oliver told Le Monde that the president was “a fallen republican monarch, marching with his shirt open and a rope around his neck until the next dissolution (of Parliament)”.
No new parliamentary elections can be held until July, so the current impasse in the assembly – where no group can hope for a working majority – is set to continue.
