A motion of no confidence was filed on Friday against newly appointed French Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
Signed by 192 members of parliament from the leftist Nouveau Front Populaire, the motion will be defended in parliament on Tuesday by Parti Socialiste member Olivier Faure. Its chances of passing are slim.
“The existence of this government, in its composition and direction, denies the results of the last elections,” the motion reads. According to the left-leaning MPs, President Macron should have appointed their candidate as Prime Minister, since “the Nouveau Front Populaire secured the most seats.”
They believe their candidate should have been allowed to propose a government and seek majorities on a policy-by-policy basis.
The government’s political direction is another reason for the motion. The leftist front criticises it for refusing to reconsider the 2023 pension reform. Additionally, they argue that Barnier “is satisfied with empty words on environmental and climate defence.”
The far-right Rassemblement National (RN), led by Marine Le Pen, has indicated it will not support the motion. As the largest opposition party, it holds 125 seats in the 577-member National Assembly.
“I believe the situation is serious enough not to reject this government outright,” RN parliamentarian Laure Lavalette said on Thursday.
