French govt falls as PM ousted in no-trust vote

KABUL (Pajhwok): Following the ouster of Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a no-trust vote, the wobbly French government has fallen, a media report said on Thursday.

A huge majority of lawmakers voted for the no-confidence motion, which came 90 days after President Emmanuel Macron appointed Barnier as prime minister.

According to the BBC, the French government has been overthrown in a no-confidence vote for the first time since 1962.

France could plunge deeper into political volatility in the wake of the government’s fall. Not a single party could win a majority in parliament in the summer snap.

In Wednesday’s voting, parliamentarians had to either vote yes or stay away. At least 288 ballots were needed for the motion to succeed, with 331 MPs casting ballots in support of the motion.

Having failed to survive the motion, Barnier now has to tender his government’s resignation. The budget, which led to his ouster, also stands invalidated.

The no-confidence vote was tabled after Barnier pushed through social security reforms by invoking a presidential decree on Monday. However, he could not muster enough support for the move.

PAN Monitor/mud