international reactions after the two motions of censure filed against the Barnier government

If the use of article 49.3 by Michel Barnier shook up the French political scene this Monday, the hypothesis of possible censorship by the Prime Minister also caused a strong reaction from the international press.

“The French government risks falling this week.” These are the first words from our colleagues at the Guardian to analyze the political situation in France this Monday. The use of article 49.3 by Michel Barnier to pass the Social Security financing bill (PLFSS) without a vote caused a stir beyond French borders.

Referring to the negotiations between Michel Barnier and the National Rally, The Guardian returned to the “deep political crisis”, resulting from Emmanuel Macron's decision to dissolve the National Assembly.

For its part, the Spanish media “El Pais” has already considered that Michel Barnier was going to be censored and pushed to resign. “The moving truck is preparing to return to Matignon, the seat of the French government,” we can read.

“The collapse of government”

By activating article 49.3 this Monday, Michel Barnier held his government accountable. While the motions of censure, tabled by the National Rally and the New Popular Front, will be studied this Wednesday, December 4 at the Palais-Bourbon, other media, like “El Pais”, have predicted the end of the executive.

This is the case of the New York Times which, in an article, mentioned “the collapse of the government”, which will “only aggravate the uncertainty which has weighed on France since the early legislative elections”.

According to our colleagues at CNN, Michel Barnier's censorship could “plunge France into political chaos” and “would frighten the financial markets, which are wondering whether Europe's second-largest economy has both the budgetary discipline and the political will necessary to clean up its finance”.