Michel Barnier is set to submit his resignation to the president after his government was toppled in record time with a vote of no confidence.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier is expected to resign on Thursday, one day after his government became the first in more than 60 years to be toppled by a vote of no confidence, just three months after taking office – a record-breaking reversal.
Barnier will present his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron shortly. The president is expected to address the nation in the evening, reports The Guardian.
“I can tell you that it has been an honor for me to serve France and the French people with dignity,” Barnier said in his final speech before the vote. “This motion of no confidence… will make everything more serious and difficult. This is what I am sure of.”
Macron faces the unenviable task of selecting a possible successor with more than two years left in his presidential term, with some – though not all – opponents calling on him to resign. The fragmented parliament will remain unchanged as no new legislative elections can be held until at least July.
The motion of no confidence, brought by the far-left in the National Assembly, came amid a deadlock over next year’s budget after the prime minister on Monday forced a bill for social security funding through without a vote.
With crucial support from Marine Le Pen’s far-right party, a majority of 331 deputies in the 577-member chamber voted to topple the government.
Macron returned to Paris just before the vote, after completing a three-day state visit to Saudi Arabia.
