Collapse of the Barnier government

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Collapse of the Barnier government
Brexit debate - Michel Barnier, EU Brexit negotiator (cropped).jpg
Michel Barnier (LR)
DateDecember 4, 2024 (2024-12-04)
Type Political crisis
CauseDisagreements over the 2025 government budget resulting in a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Michel Barnier
Participants Barnier government
Emmanuel Macron
New Popular Front
National Rally

On 5 December 2024, the Barnier government in France headed by Michel Barnier of The Republicans collapsed following a successful vote of no confidence in the National Assembly. Part of an extended political crisis, the vote of no confidence was the first to pass since 1962 and resulted in Barnier's government being the shortest serving in the history of the French Fifth Republic.

Contents

Collapse

2025 budget proposal

In mid-October 2024, Barnier presented his government's proposal for the 2025 government budget to the National Assembly. Focused on reducing the budget deficit, the proposal included a wide range of austerity measures, including forty billion euros of spending cuts and twenty billion euros of tax increases. [1]

The budget proposal received significant criticism from the left, with Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure accusing Barnier of "turning towards the far-right to avoid a no-confidence vote." [2]

On 2 December, Barnier invoked Article 49.3 of the French Constitution in order to enact the budget proposal without a formal vote by the National Assembly. This meant that the only way to block the budget was for lawmakers to adopt a motion of no confidence in the government, pursuant to the provisions of the Article. The New Popular Front formally introduced such a motion later the same day. [3]

Debate

The motion was debated on 4 December.

In his closing remarks, Barnier claimed that it had been "an honor for me to have served France and the French with dignity" and that a no confidence vote would "make everything more serious and more difficult." [4]

Vote

Motion of no confidence
Ballot →4 December 2024
Required majority →288 out of 575 Green check.svg
Votes in favour
331 / 573
Abstentions or absentees [a]
244 / 575
Source

Ultimately, 331 deputies, a majority of the National Assembly, voted for no confidence in the government. [5]

All La France Insoumise and The Ecologists deputies voted in favour of non-confidence. All Socialist Party deputies except for Sophie Pantel, who didn't participate, voted in favour. 123 of the 124 National Rally deputies voted in favour (with Sophie Blanc not participating in the vote), as did all UDR deputies.

Caledonian Union deputy Emmanuel Tjibaou did not participate. [6]

Aftermath

On 5 December, over 130,000 public sector workers held a one-day strike in protest against Barnier's budget proposal, with the aim of warning Macron that doubling-down on the proposed austerity measures would cause further unrest. [7]

At 19:00 that day, Macron gave a televised speech addressing the government's collapse. [8] In the speech, Macron vowed to stay in office until the end of his term in 2027, to name a new prime minister shortly, and to present an emergency law to ensure taxes could still be collected and a government shutdown avoided in the new year. He also accused the National Rally and the New Popular Front of uniting in an "anti-republican front," saying that "they chose disorder." [9]

Reactions

Financial

Moody's Ratings warned that the government's collapse "deepens the country's political stalemate" and "reduces the probability of a consolidation of public finances." [10]

Political commentators

Author Éric Brunet described the collapse as "jaw-droppingly French," saying that there was "no pragmatism. Just ideology. All the speeches were about values, about extremes. Our whole discourse is disconnected from reality." [11] Simon Toubeau of the University of Nottingham described the collapse as a "persistence of the competitive and majoritarian instincts of France's politicians that engendered this crisis," adding that while Macron was "content to partner with the others to keep the RN out of power, these noble sentiments evaporated when it came to governing." [12]

Politicians

Republican politician and minister of the interior in the Barnier government Bruno Retailleau stated that the right "cannot make a compromise with the left" in forming a new government. [13]

National Rally leader Marine Le Pen stated that she did not want Macron to resign, but called on him to "respect the voice of voters and show respect for political forces and respect for elections." [5]

Senator Anne Souyris of The Ecologists stated that the collapse proved that Macron "has not taken stock of what is happening" in France. [14]

Unions and NGOs

General Confederation of Labour secretary general Sophie Binet claimed that Macron's "supply-side policy is leading us into a wall. It is a catastrophe, an economic and social disaster." [14]

Related Research Articles

A motion or vote of no confidence is a motion and corresponding vote thereon in a deliberative assembly as to whether an officer is deemed fit to continue to occupy their office. The no-confidence vote is a defining constitutional element of a parliamentary system, in which the executive's mandate rests upon the continued support of the majority in the legislature. Systems differ in whether such a motion may be directed against the prime minister, against individual cabinet ministers, against the cabinet as a whole, or some combination of the above.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prime Minister of France</span> Head of government of France

The prime minister of France, officially the prime minister of the French Republic, is the head of government of the French Republic and the leader of its Council of Ministers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Assembly (France)</span> Lower house of the French Parliament

The National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral French Parliament under the Fifth Republic, the upper house being the Senate. The National Assembly's legislators are known as députés, meaning "delegate" or "envoy" in English; etymologically, it is a cognate of the English word deputy, the standard term for legislators in many parliamentary systems.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michel Barnier</span> Prime Minister of France in 2024

Michel Jean Barnier is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from September to December 2024. A member of a series of Gaullist parties, Barnier has served in several French cabinet positions under the governments from Édouard Balladur to François Fillon from 1993 to 2009. At the European Union (EU) level, Barnier was European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services from 2010 to 2014 and vice-president of the European People's Party (EPP) from 2010 to 2015. From October 2016 to 2021, he was the EU's chief negotiator on Britain's exit from the European Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">François Bayrou</span> Prime Minister of France since 2024

François René Jean Lucien Bayrou is a French politician who is the current Prime Minister of France, a role he has occupied since December 2024. He has presided over the European Democratic Party (EDP) since 2004 and the Democratic Movement (MoDem) since 2007. A centrist, he was a candidate in the 2002, 2007 and 2012 presidential elections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Article 49 of the French Constitution</span>

Article 49 of the French Constitution is an article of the French Constitution, the fundamental law of the Fifth French Republic. It sets out and structures the political responsibility of the government towards the parliament. It is part of Title V: "On relations between the parliament and the government", and with the intention of maintaining the stability of the French executive the section provides legislative alternatives to the parliament. It was written into the constitution to counter the perceived weakness of the Fourth Republic, such as "deadlock" and successive rapid government takeovers, by giving the government the ability to pass bills without the approbation of the parliament, possible under Section 3 of Article 49.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruno Retailleau</span> French politician (born 1960)

Bruno Daniel Marie Paul Retailleau is a French politician who has served as Minister of the Interior in the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier since 21 September 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Éric Ciotti</span> French politician (born 1965)

Éric Ciotti is a French politician who led The Republicans (LR) from 2022 to 2024. He has represented Alpes-Maritimes's 1st constituency in the National Assembly since the 2007 legislative election. Once a member of The Republicans' right-wing, he was seeking to distance the party from Emmanuel Macron's presidency. He left The Republicans in 2024, and is now the leader of the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR) party and parliamentary group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emmanuel Macron</span> President of France since 2017

Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron is a French politician who has served as President of France since 2017. He previously was Minister of Economics, Industry and Digital Affairs under President François Hollande from 2014 to 2016 and deputy secretary-general to the president from 2012 to 2014. He has been a member of Renaissance since he founded it in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gabriel Attal</span> Prime Minister of France in 2024

Gabriel Nissim Attal de Couriss is a French politician who served as Prime Minister of France from January to September 2024. As a member of the Renaissance party, Attal rapidly rose up the political ranks following his election to the National Assembly in June 2017. He became the Junior Minister to the Minister of National Education and Youth in 2018, which made him the youngest person to serve in the Government of France; the Spokesperson of the Government in 2020; the Minister of Public Action and Accounts in 2022; and the Minister of National Education and Youth in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 The Republicans congress</span> Internal primary election in France

The 2021 The Republicans (LR) congress, also known as the Congress for France, was an organised internal primary held from 1 to 4 December. It was organised by the party in order to nominate the candidate that would represent it in the 2022 presidential election. Valérie Pécresse was chosen as the party's presidential nominee in a two-round voting process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Borne government</span> Government of France (2022-2024)

The Borne government was the forty-third government of the French Fifth Republic, formed on 16 May 2022 and headed by Élisabeth Borne as Prime Minister under President Emmanuel Macron. It served as a caretaker government in early January 2024, before Gabriel Attal was appointed prime minister by Macron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 French legislative election</span>

Legislative elections were held in France on 30 June and 7 July 2024 to elect all 577 members of the 17th National Assembly of the Fifth French Republic. The election followed the dissolution of the National Assembly by President Emmanuel Macron, triggering a snap election after the National Rally (RN) made substantial gains and Macron's Besoin d'Europe electoral list lost a significant number of seats in the 2024 European Parliament election in France.

In 2023, a law was passed in France that raises the retirement age from 62 to 64 with a requirement that the retiree has worked at least 43 years. Its provisions, which sparked strikes, were highly controversial, as was Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne's invocation of Article 49.3 of the French Constitution, allowing a draft law to pass without a vote unless the Assembly adopts a motion of no confidence within a set time. Two such motions were filed within the required timeframe, and both of them were voted down on 20 March.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Attal government</span> Government of France in 2024

The Attal government was the forty-fourth government of the French Fifth Republic, formed on 9 January 2024 and headed by Gabriel Attal as Prime Minister under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron. It served as a caretaker government from July to September 2024, before Michel Barnier was appointed prime minister.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023–2024 French government crisis</span> Crisis ending Élisabeth Bornes premiership

In December 2023, the Borne government faced a governability and credibility crisis. It was caused mainly by the difficult passage of the 2023 immigration and asylum bill, one of Emmanuel Macron's flagship manifesto commitments made during the 2022 presidential election.

Legislative elections are not scheduled to be held in France before June 2025 to elect all 577 members of the 17th National Assembly of the Fifth French Republic.

France entered a political crisis after the 2024 French legislative election organized by the French president Emmanuel Macron in June 2024, which resulted in a hung parliament with the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) leading a plurality of seats. The French government submitted its resignation on 15 July 2024 but was kept in place by the president pending negotiations to appoint a new prime minister to form a new government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barnier government</span> Government of France from September to December 2024

The Barnier government was the 45th government of France during the period of the French Fifth Republic. It was formed in September 2024 after President Emmanuel Macron appointed Michel Barnier as Prime Minister on 5 September, replacing Gabriel Attal. It was a caretaker government from 5 December until its dissolution on 13 December 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bayrou government</span>

The Bayrou government is the forty-sixth and incumbent government of France. It was formed in December 2024 after President Emmanuel Macron appointed François Bayrou as Prime Minister on 13 December, replacing caretaker Michel Barnier, after losing a motion of no-confidence, something that not happened since 1962. The motion was supported by the vast majority of New Popular Front and National Rally MPs and all Union of the Right for the Republic MPs.

References

  1. ↑ "French PM Barnier unveils deficit-slashing 2025 budget". France24. 11 October 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  2. ↑ "" Il aura la censure qu'il mérite " : vives réactions à gauche face aux annonces de Barnier sur l'aide médicale d'Etat". Le Nouvel Obs. 28 November 2024. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  3. ↑ Millar, Paul (2 December 2024). "Why the French government is headed for collapse". France24. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  4. ↑ Nouvian, Tom (4 December 2024). "French lawmakers vote to oust prime minister in the first successful no-confidence vote since 1962". AP News. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  5. 1 2 Walker, Amy (5 December 2024). "French government collapses in no-confidence vote". BBC News. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  6. ↑ Moisset, Benjamin (5 December 2024). "Motion de censure : votre député a-t-il voté pour renverser le gouvernement ?". Le Nouvel Obs . Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  7. ↑ "Journée de grève et de mobilisation dans la fonction publique en France". France24. 5 December 2024. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  8. ↑ Macron, Emmanuel (5 December 2024). "Adresse aux Français". Élysée. Archived from the original on 7 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  9. ↑ "Macron blames alliance of 'extreme left and extreme right' for fall of French government". France24. 5 December 2024. Archived from the original on 5 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  10. ↑ "Macron hunts for new French PM after lawmakers topple Barnier government". France24. 5 December 2024. Archived from the original on 5 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  11. ↑ Schofield, Hugh (5 December 2024). "Barnier downfall threatens to set a pattern for what lies ahead". BBC News. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  12. ↑ Toubeau, Simon (5 December 2024). "Why did the French government fall and what happens next?". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  13. ↑ "Nouveau Premier ministre : Retailleau affirme que " la droite ne pourra faire aucun compromis avec la gauche "". Le Nouvel Obs . 6 December 2024. Archived from the original on 6 December 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  14. 1 2 Chadwick, Lauren (5 December 2024). "Civil servants in France go on strike after no-confidence vote topples government". Euronews. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
  1. ↑ In the French National Assembly, motions of no confidence are voted on by open ballot, with only those in favor of the motion taking part in the vote. Since a majority of the entire membership is required, those who are absent or do not cast a ballot are de facto voting against.
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