The French National Assembly voted this Wednesday on the motion of censure tabled by the New Popular Front (NFP), with the support of the National Rally (RN). The government of Michel Barnier, in place for only three months, is officially overthrown. This vote, marked by an unprecedented alliance between the left and the far right, constitutes a major political earthquake.
The motion of censure follows Michel Barnier's controversial use of article 49.3 to impose the 2025 Social Security budget without parliamentary debate. This appeal crystallized the opposition, accusing the government of disregarding the prerogatives of the Assembly. With 331 votes in favor of censorship, the NFP-RN alliance obtained the majority necessary to bring down the government.
Contrary to what some might have envisaged, President Emmanuel Macron cannot dissolve the National Assembly immediately, due to the restriction imposed by Article 12 of the Constitution, which prohibits a new dissolution within the year following the previous one. This significantly reduces its strategic options. Emmanuel Macron will therefore have to appoint a new Prime Minister capable of uniting a parliamentary majority or attempt to govern with an executive in a minority position, a particularly perilous exercise.
