French Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s coalition has been toppled by a no-confidence vote after just three months in power.
The no-confidence motion was spurred by Barnier’s bid to pass an unpopular social security budget without a parliamentary vote. 331 of 577 MPs voted to oust Barnier.
"This [budget deficit] reality will not disappear by the magic of a motion of censure,” Barnier said ahead of the no-confidence vote.
Both left and far-right parties supported the no-confidence motion.
Barnier’s budget would include EU€60 billion in tax increases and spending cuts, with the goal of decreasing France’s budget deficit to 5% in 2025. Barnier invoked special constitutional powers to push part of the budget through the National Assembly without a vote.
Barnier is expected to resign as prime minister on Thursday morning, while his cabinet will serve until President Emmanuel Macron appoints new leadership. Macron will give a televised address on Thursday evening.
While some parties are asking for Macron to step down, Macron has said he will not resign.
“We are now calling on Macron to go,” said Mathilde Panot, parliamentary leader of the left-wing party La France Insoumise.
Barnier, part of the centre-right Republicans party, was appointed as prime minister after legislative elections earlier this year resulted in a hung parliament.
He previously served as the European Union’s chief negotiator after the Brexit vote, and ran for president in France’s 2022 election.
This is the first time since that a French prime minister has lost a no-confidence vote since 1962. Barnier is expected to become France’s shortest-serving prime minister.