French Prime Minister Michel Barnier This Monday he resigned from carrying out France’s Social Security budget in the Assembly, and leaves his Government on the brink of collapse, since the New Popular Front (NFP) has announced a motion of censure that will also have the support of the National Regrouping (RN), Marine Le Pen’s party. The prime minister has resorted to article 49.3 of the Constitution to overcome the parliamentary blockadesomething that, if it happened, would open the door – as has happened – for the opposition to overthrow the Government just a few months after it took office.
“The French would not forgive us if we put private interests before the future of the nation,” Barnier himself explained in the Assembly, just at the same time that he asked for “responsibility” from the rest of the parties. Throughout the day on Monday he has been making concessions to the radical right regarding pensions, medication reimbursement or energy taxes. It has not been enough to reach an agreement with Le Pen’s party.
For its part, the NFP harshly attacked the Executive. It is not possible for those who have lost the elections to govern in a democracy.“said deputy Mathilde Panot, who denounced, like Jordan Bardella, leader of RN, the “political chaos” in which France has been mired since the last legislative elections.
Bardella himself, despite the fact that the Government initially went ahead with the support of the radical right, quickly announced the position of his people in favor of a motion of censure, against an Executive who, he expressed, “he does not understand the needs of the French” because he is “a son of Macronism.” He enfant terrible Marine Le Pen also made it clear that “only a miracle at the last minute” would save an agreement between her and Matignon. In this sense, Bardella reminded Macron that citizens voted to “turn the page” but “were not listened to.”
The motion of censure will be voted on Wednesday, just one day before Michel Barnier’s Government completes 3 months in office… but it may not reach them in view of the very little support it has in the Assembly: only the Macronism and the Republicans are on their side. During this time, The Executive has tried to carry out measures to stabilize the delicate economic situation in Francesuch as a controversial pension reform that was one of Macron’s priorities since the last presidential elections. Meanwhile, the NFP has always insisted that they are the ones who have to lead the Government since they were the winners of the parliamentary elections; The president, on the other hand, refuses that route.
Barnier, however, has always been on the wire. There are no clear majorities in Parliament, with the left as the main force after the victory of the NFP in the legislative elections, ahead of Macronism and Marine Le Pen’s RN. Barnier’s profile seemed to please the centrists and also his party, The Republicans, but from the first minute he raised many doubts both in the progressive formations and in the radical right, although in recent times he has had winks towards them. At his worst moment, Macron resorted to a ‘moderate’ way to end the blockadebut now the blockade is very close to returning.