French parliament

Michel Barnier’s newly appointed government successfully withstood its first motion of no confidence on Tuesday, 8 October 2024. The motion, tabled by left-wing parties in the French National Assembly, garnered 197 votes in favour, falling significantly short of the 289 votes required to pass.

The motion was initiated by the Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP), a coalition of left-wing parties, as a direct response to Barnier’s recent appointment as Prime Minister.

The NFP argued that his ascension to Matignon undermined the outcome of the legislative elections. Olivier Faure, the leader of the Socialist Party, spearheaded the charge, delivering a fervent speech at the parliamentary tribune.

Olivier Faure, in his address, accused Barnier’s government of orchestrating a “democratic subversion” by assuming power without adequate regard for the electoral results. Describing the situation as an “electoral hold-up”, Faure called on the Assembly to censure Barnier’s leadership.

“You called for compromise, so let’s see it,” said Faure, addressing Barnier directly. He urged the Prime Minister to engage with the opposition, particularly with the amendments that the Socialist Party intends to propose in relation to the 2025 budget.

The crux of Faure’s argument rested on the claim that Barnier’s government, in the absence of support from the far-right, would not survive. He argued that Barnier’s political future relied on appeasing Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN), which, in Faure’s view, supported the continuation of “Macronism” at the expense of social progress.

A Broadside Against the Far-Right

In a fiery section of his speech, Faure criticised the RN’s alignment with Barnier, accusing the far-right of always siding “with capital over labour” and suggesting that Barnier was dependent on their support to remain in power. He warned that Barnier’s government would become increasingly beholden to the RN’s influence.

Faure also took aim at Barnier’s Interior Minister, accusing him of playing to the far-right’s agenda. The accusation was a pointed critique of what Faure described as a transition from a “Republican front” to a “Republican affront”, suggesting that the government had shifted from defending democratic values to legitimising the far-right.

“In legitimising the far-right each day, your government will eventually become nothing more than a stepping stone to political downfall,” Faure concluded.

Barnier’s Response

Prime Minister Michel Barnier responded to Faure’s accusations with a composed yet firm rebuttal. Barnier dismissed the motion as predictable, pointing out that the opposition had announced its intention to file a no-confidence motion even before he had formed a government or presented his policy agenda. He wryly referred to it as a “motion of censure a priori”.

Barnier also accused Faure of attempting to question the legitimacy of his government, stating that there was no absolute majority for any party in the Assembly. The Prime Minister acknowledged that governing under such circumstances would require compromise, but he rejected the notion that his administration lacked democratic legitimacy.

Barnier’s remarks were measured but indicated his resolve to continue leading despite the opposition’s criticism. He also alluded to the historical precedent set by his predecessors, noting that previous Prime Ministers, such as Gabriel Attal and Élisabeth Borne, had similarly faced multiple motions of no confidence. Borne, in particular, had faced 31 such motions during her tenure, none of which succeeded, despite one being narrowly defeated by just nine votes during the pension reform controversy in March 2023.