By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
PARIS (Worthy News) – The French government was facing collapse Monday after far-right and left-wing parties said they would back a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Michel Barnier, despite his warnings it could further threaten the nation’s already challenging economy.
Monday’s standoff was sparked by Barnier’s decision to use a constitutional mechanism called Article 49.3, which allows for legislation to be adopted without a vote but opens the door to no-confidence motions.
He made the move after a last-minute concession was not enough to win support from the influential far-right National Rally (RN).
Barnier warned lawmakers that France has reached its “moment of truth,” as far-right leader Marine Le Pen was set to join a left-wing coalition to topple his government as soon as this week.
RN leader Marine Le Pen confirmed her party would table its no-confidence motion but would also vote for any similar bill from other parties. “The French have had enough,” she said.
“Maybe they thought things would get better with Michel Barnier, but they were even worse.”
RN ROLE
In a June snap election, the National Rally became the largest party in the lower house of parliament.
Analysts say this transformed Le Pen into Paris’s most influential power broker.
Although Barnier submitted to nearly all of Le Pen’s demands to tweak France’s 2025 budget, she said her party still wouldn’t back the bill, paving the way for a government collapse.
Mathilde Panot, from the hard-left France Unbowed party, agrees, saying: “Faced with this umpteenth denial of democracy, we will censure the government…”
The timing is particularly hazardous for France’s finances as the government must adopt a budget by year-end or use untested emergency legislation to avoid a shutdown.
France’s troubles have rattled investors amid concerns about the impact on the European Union’s economy, where the other economic powerhouse, Germany, faces a crisis in its automobile sector.
PENSIONS CONTROVERSY
Barnier didn’t accept the government’s plan to make significant savings by delaying the indexation of pensions to inflation.
The prime minister “did not wish to respond to the request of the 11 million National Rally voters,” Le Pen told reporters after the announcement. He said that everyone should shoulder their responsibilities, so we will shoulder ours.”
Analysts caution that the uncertainty around the country’s political direction and its budget has pushed bond investors to punish France’s sovereign debt relative to its peers.
These troubles raised France’s borrowing costs to as high as Greece’s at one point last week, leading Barnier to speak of a “storm” in financial markets if he is dismissed from power.
If he loses the confidence vote, President Emmanuel Macron must appoint a new prime minister, though this could potentially be Barnier.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a sweeping federal indictment against the Southern Poverty Law Center, charging the nonprofit with fraud, money laundering, and deceptive financial practices in what officials describe as a long-running scheme involving extremist groups and donor funds.
A Christian pastor detained over the weekend while evangelizing in a British town says he will follow the example of Apostle Paul and prove to authorities he was targeted for preaching the Gospel.
The Trump administration has halted shipments of U.S. dollars to Iraq and suspended portions of its security cooperation with Baghdad, escalating pressure on Iraqi leaders to confront powerful Iran-backed militias, according to a Wall Street Journal exclusive citing U.S. and Iraqi officials.
Lebanon is seeking to extend a fragile ceasefire with Israel as officials from both nations prepare for a second round of U.S.-brokered talks in Washington, D.C., marking a rare moment of direct engagement after decades of hostility.
The United States has informed Israel that President Donald Trump has extended the ceasefire deadline with Iran until Sunday, according to Israeli officials, even as violence and uncertainty continue to cloud diplomatic efforts.
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that Iran is suffering severe financial losses due to ongoing restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz, estimating the Islamic Republic is losing roughly $500 million per day.
The European Union moved toward unlocking a 90 billion euro (about $106 billion) loan to Kyiv on Wednesday after officials said Russian oil was again flowing to Hungary and Slovakia following months of disruptions linked to the war in Ukraine.