Newly appointed French Prime Minister François Bayrou survived a no-confidence vote on Thursday after the opposition Socialist Party chose not to back the motion.
In the surprise turn of events, most Socialist lawmakers decided not to withdraw their confidence in Bayrou’s government unlike their left-wing allies, including the Greens and the Communists.
The vote was requested by the leftist France Unbowed (LFI) party on Tuesday evening, shortly after Bayrou’s first government address.
Bayrou’s minority government may now be able to rely on the support of the Socialists for future plans – and thus avoid becoming dependent on the far-right bloc led by Marine Le Pen.
His predecessor Michel Barnier was rejected by the entire left-wing camp in France. Only the right-wing nationalists tolerated his minority Cabinet.
However, when Le Pen’s parliamentary group withdrew support over a dispute on the planned austerity budget, Barnier was toppled after just three months in office.
As a result, France does not have a budget yet for 2025.
Socialist party leader Olivier Faure emphasized that their support for the government would not be unconditional. However, he stressed the importance of a strong European response to the tense global situation, warning that France must not fall into the hands of the far right.
To win over the Socialists, Bayrou earlier this week granted labour groups three months to propose a fairer pension plan.
This would replace the controversial reform pushed through by President Emmanuel Macron, which sparked mass protests across France in 2023.
The political turmoil in France further weakens Macron’s precarious political standing as his bloc does not command a majority in the National Assembly.
There are three large blocs in the National Assembly – Macron’s centrist one, the left-wing one and Le Pen’s one dominated by her National Rally party – none of which has an absolute majority.
