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French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has been ousted in a dramatic no-confidence vote, just three months into his tenure, throwing France into a political crisis.
CNN reports that a total of 331 out of 577 lawmakers voted against Barnier’s fragile centrist government on Wednesday, making him the first prime minister to fall to such a motion since 1962.
The defeat comes after Barnier’s controversial decision to push through the 2025 budget using a constitutional loophole, bypassing a parliamentary vote—a move that triggered outrage across the political spectrum.
Barnier, a veteran centrist appointed by President Emmanuel Macron to lead a minority government after a fractured snap election in the summer, now holds the dubious distinction of being France’s shortest-serving prime minister.
His cabinet is expected to serve in a caretaker capacity until Macron appoints new leadership—a task fraught with challenges as the president faces mounting pressure from both the left and far-right factions of the National Assembly.
“Removing me will make everything more difficult,” Barnier warned during a tense debate in the National Assembly. “But I am not afraid.” His plea fell on deaf ears as opposition lawmakers from across the aisle united to bring him down, BBC also reports Wednesday night.
Details later
