France Politics LIVE: Le Pen Blasts Barnier As She Warns ‘great Change’ Is Looming
Express. Home of the Daily and Sunday Express. HOME News Politics Royal Showbiz & TV Sport Comment Finance Travel Life & Style UK World Politics Royal US Weather Science History Weird Nature Sunday InYourArea France’s Prime Minister Michel Barnier faces a vote of no-confidence, which could mark the end of his struggling minority government.
Michel Barnier was appointed France’s Prime Minister in September (Image: GETTY)
Michel Barnier, who was appointed France’s Prime Minister in September but is best known in the UK for his role as EU’s Brexit chief negotiator, is facing a no-confidence vote on Wednesday afternoon.
Speaking in the French Parliament today, Marine Le Pen of the National Rally warned: “Whatever happens, the National Rally will be ready to open the country’s path to recovery. The time is not far off before the great change of government looms.”
Mr Barnier, who leads a minority government, came under fire on Monday after he used special powers to push through a social security budget bill without MPs voting on it.
Both the far-left France Unbowed (LFI) and the far-right National Rally (RN) said they would support the no-confidence motion, despite being at the opposite sides of the political spectrum.
Mr Barnier is deemed unlikely to be backed by the French parliament today, but he said it’s “possible” the motion may not pass.
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1 min ago18:01 Charlie Bradley
Voting expected to start soonFrench MPs will soon decide whether they want to topple the beleaguered French government.
32 mins ago17:30 Charlie Bradley
Macron ally says vote of no confidence is ‘not fair’Laurent Marcangeli, an ally of Macron said: “A crisis of regime is a vicious circle. It will increase the precarity of our country. This is not fair.
“It must also be said, in all transparency, that the absence of a 2025 budget automatically implies a tax increase whose scale will not, for 18 million people, be indexed to inflation.
“We should be proposing alternatives that are capable of running the country and not voting no-confidence motions for the sake of it – rejecting for the sake of it.”
50 mins ago17:12 Charlie Bradley
Barnier ally warns against ‘pathetic’ no confidence vote.Laurent Wauquiez of Les Républicains Party, the same party as Mr Barnier, said: ” We cannot explain, as you do so lightly, that a no-confidence motion will have no consequences.
“We cannot lie to the French by saying that there will be no consequences. There will be some, and they will be paid for by the French people – and all those who lend themselves to this pathetic game today will answer for it before the French people.”
1 hour ago16:41 Charlie Bradley
Left accuses Mr Barnier of pandering to the far-rightBoris Vallaud, the head of the centre-left Socialist party, said Mr Barnier “clearly found it more appropriate to speak to the far right than to the left. And we cannot resign ourselves to this.”
He added that their administration has “turned into a government in collusion with the far right.”
1 hour ago16:38 Charlie Bradley
Le Pen says France’s immigration is out of controlShe said that Mr Macron’s government has “no direction or vision. It is a technocratic budget that continues to slide down the slope, taking great care not to touch the totem that is out-of-control immigration.”
Me Le Pen added that Mr Barnier’s only solution is “tax, tax and more tax.”
She continued, saying the proposed budget “takes the French people hostage – particularly the most vulnerable: low-income retirees, sick people, poorer workers, those French people too rich to be helped, but not poor enough to escape being hammered by taxes.”
2 hours ago16:30 Charlie Bradley
EXCLUSIVE: Macron told he has to resignA prominent opponent of the French President has urged him to resign amid the budget chaos.
Read more here.
2 hours ago16:26 Charlie Bradley
French MP who tabled motion says Mr Barnier isÉric Coquerel of the left-wing France Unbowed (LFI) took aim at Mr Barnier while saying that “the majority of the people back the motion I have tabled.”
He added that “today we make history… I appreciate how serious today.”
France (Image: Getty)
2 hours ago16:21 Charlie Bradley
‘Moment of truth’ Marine Le Pen speaks in French ParliamentMarine Le Pen, who could play an influential role in bringing down the government, said this is a “moment of truth.”
She said Mr Barnier wouldn’t “just be a follower of what came before but the builder of a new future”.
She added: “It’s become clear you are just heading a government without democratic legitimacy.”
Marine Le Pen (Image: Getty)
2 hours ago15:53 Charlie Bradley
French MPs furious with Emmanuel Macron for his role in crisisFrench politicians are furious with Emmanuel Macron, saying his mismanagement of the situation has brought France to this point.
Claire Lejeune, an MP for the left wing party La France Insoumise, told the BBC that Mr Macron did not respect the parliamentary vote earlier this year, when the left wing alliance took most seats.
She added: “We want a government that is reflection of democratic voice of the country.
“This institutional chaos is Macron’s responsibility.
The damage is from Emmanuel Macron. No one asked him to organise snap elections.”
Macron (Image: Getty)
3 hours ago15:06 Alice Scarsi
National Assembly session opensThe National Assembly session opened at 3pm GMT (4pm local time).
Michel Barnier arrived to the National Assembly earlier this afternoon to face the outcome of the vote in person.
3 hours ago15:05 Alice Scarsi
What triggered the vote of no confidence?On Monday, Michel Barnier triggered article 49.3 to push through a budget bill.
The bill aims at controlling France’s deficit and includes spending cuts and tax rises.
Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and the left-wing LFI were on the frontline against this bill – and Mr Barnier agreed to make concessions to the budget’s critics.
However, opposition forces still didn’t deem the budget bill acceptable. Rather than modifying the bill further, Mr Barnier pushed through the bill.
3 hours ago14:57 Alice Scarsi
Good afternoonGood morning from London. We will be bringing you all the latest developments on the no-confidence motion taking place today in Paris.
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