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December 5, 2024

France in Deepening Political Turmoil After No-Confidence Vote Collapses Gov't

The French government has collapsed after leftist and far-right
lawmakers united to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a
no-confidence vote Wednesday. The vote came amid intense opposition to
Barnier's budget proposal and its roughly $60 billion in spending cuts
and tax increases. It's the first time France's government has fallen to
a no-confidence vote since 1962.

French President Emmanuel Macron is addressing the nation later today.
Macron could ask Barnier to stay on as caretaker prime minister until he
names a successor. It's the latest defeat for the embattled Macron, who
faced fierce backlash after selecting the conservative Barnier as prime
minister in September instead of a progressive politician, despite a
leftist coalition winning the most votes in July's snap parliamentary
elections. Mathilde Panot of the progressive France Unbowed party called
on Macron to step down following the vote.

Mathilde Panot: "We are ready to govern on a program of change. Emmanuel
Macron must go. And we want to show any moment and we will demonstrate
that another world is always possible and that the only sovereign in
this country remains the people, and them alone."

#france #macron #barnier #no-confidence-vote #mathilde-panot #government