Only three months after French President Emmanuel Macron appointed conservative Michel Barnier as Prime Minister, his cabinet now faces a no-confidence vote. The censorship vote was triggered by an unpopular budget proposal that foresees further cuts to public services—precisely the kind of policies voters rejected in last June’s election.
Unable to build enough support for his budget proposal in the National Assembly, Barnier invoked a constitutional provision allowing the government to bypass parliamentary approval—at the risk of triggering a no-confidence vote. The left and progressive bloc in parliament, led by the New Popular Front (Nouveau Front Populaire, NFP), which won the most seats in the last election but was sidelined by Macron’s choice of prime minister, seized the opportunity to challenge Barnier. They also used the moment to reaffirm their readiness to implement their platform of rupture, which aims to break away from Macron’s neoliberal policies.
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Barnier’s position in the National Assembly depends on support from the far-right National Rally. Right-wing leaders like Marine Le Pen originally provided tentative and informal backing to his cabinet, recognizing this as a way to block left and progressive forces from power while advancing their own securitization and anti-immigration agendas. However, even the National Rally has signaled it could support the censorship vote later this week, further weakening Barnier’s chances.
After the NFP announced plans to pursue a no-confidence vote, political figures close to Macron’s neoliberal policies accused the French left of putting the country at risk of chaos. Ironically, these same figures had previously claimed that an NFP-led administration would bring political instability due to a lack of parliamentary support—precisely the situation that has now shaped under Macron’s choice of prime minister.
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Brushing off the criticism, Mathilde Panot, France Unbowed’s leader in the National Assembly, stated: “Those predicting disaster are lying. They are the ones creating chaos.” Similarly, Lucie Castets, the NFP’s choice for prime minister, and Marine Tondelier from the green party, The Ecologists, pointed out that Barnier’s current predicament was entirely predictable. The current instability is what happens when you rely on Marine Le Pen for support, the progressive leaders implied.
Similarly, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of France Unbowed, countered criticisms arguing that blocking Barnier’s budget would benefit the French people. According to Mélenchon, Panot, Castets, and other progressives, the issues faced by the French working class can only be addressed through a complete break from Macron’s neoliberal policies and his disregard for the people’s will. “The people are never the problem—they are the solution,” Mélenchon stated. “The problem lies with those who refuse to respect them.”
The vote of no-confidence is expected to take place on Wednesday, December 4. If the motion succeeds, Barnier will become one of France’s shortest-serving prime ministers. In this scenario, he would likely remain in a caretaker role until President Macron decides on his next steps, as Parliament cannot be dissolved again until June 2025. Macron’s options include appointing a new prime minister from the options represented in the National Assembly, forming a temporary technocratic cabinet, or resigning himself. While resignation is considered unlikely, left and progressive forces in the National Assembly have announced plans to push for Macron’s ousting through a campaign they have been organizing since he denied them the opportunity to form a government.
