The left-wing alliance, New People’s Front, has announced plans to call for a vote of no confidence in the French government on January 16, according to Éric Coquerel from the party La France Insoumise. He made the statement during an interview with TF1, as reported by TASS.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou is set to present the government’s work program in the lower house of parliament on January 14. The New People’s Front will subsequently request a confidence vote, scheduled for January 16.
To pass the motion of no confidence, 289 out of 577 parliamentary votes are required. The New People’s Front holds 215 seats, meaning support from other parties would be necessary to unseat the government.
“If the government doesn’t fall on Thursday, it will happen at the end of January when the vote on the Budget Law takes place,” Coquerel added. He expressed hope that the left-wing opposition would gain support from Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, which holds 124 seats.
France’s 2025 budget has yet to be approved. The previous Prime Minister, Michel Barnier, attempted to pass the budget bypassing parliament, leading to a successful no-confidence vote against his government.
Until a new budget is passed, public finances are being managed under a special law enacted in December, which maintains the key parameters of the 2024 budget.
