Political Turmoil in France: Barnier's Government Under Fire Before It Starts
Mounting threats of a parliamentary motion of no confidence have put Michel Barnier's new government under considerable duress before it has even had a chance to start work, as street protesters continue to voice their anger over the French Prime Minister's new administration. Eleven weeks after Emmanuel Macron, France's president, called a snap general election, the new government was finally appointed on Saturday night. However, there was little sense that the new cabinet, which signifies a clear shift to the right, would bring calm to the political realm.
Opposition politicians from the left immediately announced their plans to undermine the government of Barnier, best known outside France for his role as the EU's Brexit negotiator, with a no-confidence motion in parliament. Far-right politicians have also criticized the new formation, calling it 'same old, same old.' After a tactical voting push, July's election delivered a majority to the left-wing alliance, the New Popular Front (NFP), but it was not enough for the bloc to take power; Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) was the most successful single party in the race.
Barnier has assembled a government primarily consisting of his and Macron's allies, alongside representatives from the conservative Republicans (LR) and centrist groups. Heated discussions between Macron and Barnier over the precise makeup of the cabinet, which includes 39 posts, continued until shortly before the announcement on Saturday night. The announcement has been condemned by politicians from both the left and right, with Jean-Luc Mélenchon criticizing it as a 'government of the general election losers.' He asserted that French citizens should have the chance to overturn the new administration at the first available opportunity.
Before the announcement, anticipating the rightward shift of the cabinet, thousands of left-wing protesters took to the streets of Paris and other cities on Saturday to denounce the result, calling it a failure of leadership and a betrayal of French voters that undermined the electoral process. Olivier Faure, chair of the Socialist party, described the new cabinet as reactionary and accused it of giving democracy the finger. RN leader Jordan Bardella denounced the new government, claiming it had no future whatsoever.
Macron's party, Renaissance, was forced to relinquish some major ministerial positions but still managed to secure 12 out of 39 of them, prompting Fabien Roussel, the leader of the Communist party, to remark, 'This is not a new government; it's a reshuffle.' François Hollande, a socialist former president, expressed his belief that a no-confidence motion was a viable solution, calling the cabinet the same as before but with an even stronger right-wing makeup and predicting that it would impose painful measures on citizens.
Should a no-confidence motion occur, it would require an absolute majority in parliament, compelling the government to resign immediately. However, observers indicated that this scenario is unlikely, as it would necessitate the far-right and leftist blocs, who are arch enemies, to vote together.
Barnier's first significant challenge will be proposing a 2025 budget plan that will address what he has referred to as France's very serious financial circumstances; the country has been reprimanded for breaching the European Union's budget rules. Submission of the reform budget to parliament in October will be managed by Antoine Armand, the new 33-year-old finance minister. Other key cabinet posts have been assigned to Jean-Noël Barrot, the new foreign minister, while right-wing Republican MP Bruno Retailleau will assume the role of interior minister, overseeing immigration amid concerns from even Macron's allies about his radical and uncompromising stance on the issue.
Barnier is expected to appear on television later on Sunday to outline his plans before addressing parliament with a major speech on October 1.
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