French Government Goes Down in a Sudden Flurry of Politics
What just happened? The French prime minister, Michel Barnier, was voted out of office after a no‑confidence motion that caught everyone by surprise.
How the Drama Unfolded
- The prime minister used his special emergency powers to slip a social‑security budget through Parliament, but it didn’t survive the two‑step vote process.
- Opponents – including Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) – carried out a coordinated push to back a confidence motion against Barnier.
- Out of 577 MPs, 331 sounded the alarm, making this the first cabinet collapse in France since 1962.
Who’s in Charge Now?
With Parliament’s decisive vote on Wednesday evening, the government fell, and Barnier is expected to tender his resignation tomorrow. The country is now caught in a whirlwind of political uncertainty.
Marine Le Pen’s Take
Le Pen fired back: “We’re stepping up to protect the French. Barnier’s budget plans? Dangerous and unfair.”
