Shortly after the policy statement of France’s new Prime Minister François Bayrou, a vote of no confidence was filed against his government on Tuesday evening.
Members of the leftist party France Unbowed (LFI) justified the move with the composition of the centre-right Cabinet and Bayrou’s budget policy.
Although the government is expected to survive the vote, the move highlights the instability of the Cabinet, which does not have a majority in the National Assembly.
In December, LFI, other parties from the left-wing camp, and the far-right bloc led by Marine Le Pen brought down the government of Bayrou’s predecessor, Michel Barnier, in a similar vote.
The forthcoming vote could take place as early as Thursday.
The Greens have already announced that they will vote against Bayrou’s Cabinet. The far right indicated that they would initially not withdraw their confidence from the government, but did not rule out doing so at a later stage, as they did with Barnier.
The Socialists, on whose toleration Bayrou is hoping to rely, initially continued to threaten to vote against the government.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou delivers a general policy statement to members of the Parliament at the National Assembly in Paris Julien Mattia/Le Pictorium via ZUMA Press/dpa
President of La France Insoumise – Nouveau Front Populaire parliamentary group Mathilde Panot (R) and La France Insoumise – Nouveau Front Populaire’s MP Pierre-Yves Cadalen reacts as France’s Prime Minister replies to members of the Parliament who spoke after his general policy statement at the National Assembly. Ludovic Marin/AFP/dpa
