France’s government has collapsed after lawmakers voted to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier, plunging the country into political uncertainty.
Barnier will hold the record for the shortest tenure of any French prime minister, having been appointed by President Emmanuel Macron in September following snap elections in July.
It is reported that President Macron wants to appoint a replacement before Donald Trump attends the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris on Saturday.
However, questions remain about whether lawmakers will support an alternative candidate.
Earlier this week, both left-wing and right-wing parties in France united to bring forward two motions of no confidence against the prime minister after he used a rare constitutional power to pass his budget.
Barnier is likely to remain as a caretaker prime minister until President Macron announces a new government, which is unlikely to have a stable majority.
No party is close to securing the 289 seats needed to form a stable government. The NFP alliance holds 182 seats, RN and its allies have 143 seats, and Macron’s Together coalition holds 168 seats.
This suggests that a technocratic government is the most likely outcome, with the new prime minister holding little real power until fresh elections are held in the summer of 2025.
