French Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, has resigned from his position after his government was ousted on Wednesday by lawmakers who voted in support of a motion of no confidence against him.
A total of 331 legislators of the 577-member parliament voted Wednesday to remove Barnier’s minority government as the country struggles with political and economic challenges.
Barnier handed in his resignation to President Emanuel Macron on Thursday but is expected to stay in the role until a successor had been appointed.
The government’s precarious position follows Barnier’s controversial move to bypass a parliamentary vote on a contentious social security bill, intensifying calls for his resignation.
Far-right National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen had on Monday, announced her party’s motion on accusing Barnier of worsening the country’s woes since his appointment in September.
It was almost certain Barnier would be ousted on Wednesday as the country’s far-left party suportrdf the motion to oust the Prime minister, in what is the first of its kind since 1962 and the shortest tenure of a prime minister, in French history.
According to Mathilde Panot of the left-wing party, France Unbowed, his action “is another denial of democracy,” blaming Barnier and President Emmanuel Macron for the escalating political chaos.
Meanwhile, French President Macron is expected to address the nation on Thursday evening on developments.
Under France’s constitution, the President cannot call new legislative elections until July, a year after the last vote.
French PM Resigns After No-Confidence Vote is first published on The Whistler Newspaper