MPI is making inquiries over potential bird flu at a second farm, and Yanfei Bao's killer Tingjun Cao has been found guilty. Video / NZ Herald
France’s hard-left today urged President Emmanuel Macron to resign and hold early presidential elections after opposition lawmakers voted to oust the minority Government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
French MPs on Wednesday voted to oust Barnier after just three months in office, a historic move which plunged the country further into political chaos.
For the first time in over 60 years, the National Assembly lower house toppled the incumbent Government, approving a no-confidence motion that had been proposed by the hard left but which crucially was backed by the far-right headed by Marine Le Pen.
Barnier’s rapid ejection from office comes after snap parliamentary elections this summer which resulted in a hung Parliament with no party having an overall majority and the far-right holding the key to the Government’s survival.
President Emmanuel Macron now has the unenviable choice of picking a viable successor with over two years of his presidential term left.
The National Assembly debated a motion brought by the hard left in a standoff over next year’s austerity budget, after the Prime Minister on Monday forced through a social security financing bill without a vote.
With the support of the far-right, a majority of 331 MPs in the 577-member chamber voted to oust the Government.
Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet confirmed Barnier would now have to “submit his resignation” to Macron and declared the session closed.
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier delivers a speech during the debate prior to the no-confidence votes on his administration. Photo / AFP
“We are now calling on Macron to go,” Mathilde Panot, the head of the parliamentary faction of the France Unbowed (LFI) party told reporters, urging “early presidential elections” to solve a deepening political crisis.
Macron, who has just returned from a three-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, will address the nation tomorrow morning NZT.
Earlier on Wednesday he strolled through the desert sands of the Al-Ula oasis, an iconic tourist project of the kingdom, marvelling at ancient landmarks. After landing, he headed direct to the Elysee Palace.
On Tuesday, Macron accused Le Pen’s far-right of “unbearable cynicism” in backing the motion.
No new elections can be called within a year of last summer’s vote, narrowing Macron’s options.
Laurent Wauquiez, the head of right-wing deputies in Parliament, said the far-right and hard-left bore the responsibility for a no-confidence vote that will “plunge the country into instability”.
With markets nervous and France bracing for public-sector strikes over the threat of cutbacks that will shut schools and hit air and rail traffic, there is a growing sense of crisis.
The unions have called for civil servants, including teachers and air traffic controllers, to strike on Thursday over separate cost-cutting measures proposed by their respective ministries this autumn.
Meanwhile, Macron issue to host a major international event on Saturday with the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral after the 2019 fire, with guests including Donald Trump on his first foreign trip since he was elected to be the next US president.
“His failure”, was left-wing daily Liberation’s front-page headline, with a picture of Macron, whose term runs until 2027.
But in an editorial, Le Monde said Le Pen’s move risked upsetting her own supporters, such as retirees and business leaders, by toppling the Government.
“In the space of a few minutes, she shattered the strategy of normalisation she had consistently pursued,” the daily said.
Some observers have suggested that Le Pen, 56, is seeking to bring down Macron before his term ends by ousting Barnier.
Le Pen is embroiled in a high-profile embezzlement trial. If found guilty in March, she could be blocked from participating in France’s next presidential election.
But if Macron stepped down soon, an election would have to be called within a month, potentially ahead of the verdict in her trial.
Candidates for the post of Premier are few and far between, but loyalist Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Macron’s centrist ally Francois Bayrou are possible contenders.
On the left, Macron could turn to former Socialist Premier and Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve, a contender in September.
Macron is minded to appoint the new Premier rapidly, several sources told AFP.
