Macron seeks ways out of France's political crisis as Barnier becomes shortest-serving PM in over six decades

Concerned after Michel Barnier was ousted by parliament after mere three months in office, French President Emmanuel Macron will seek ways out of France’s political crisis on Thursday.

Barnier became the first prime minister in France to be ousted by parliament in over six decades and now will go down in history as the shortest serving PM since the Fifth Republic began in 1958.

On Wednesday, a majority of 331 MPs in the 577-member chamber in France voted to oust Barnier’ s government, approving a no-confidence motion proposed by the hard left but which crucially was backed by the far right headed by Marine Le Pen.

It was the first successful no-confidence vote since 1962 when Georges Pompidou’s government was defeated. At that time, Charles de Gaulle was the president.

Barnier’s sooner-than-expected exit 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.

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Why was no-confidence motion brought?

The no-confidence motion, brought by the hard left in the National Assembly, came amid a standoff over next year’s austerity budget, after Barnier, on Monday, forced through a social security financing bill without a vote.

Barnier is due to present Macron his government’s resignation on Thursday morning.

The address of the president to the nation is expected at 1900 GMT, the Elysee said.

Macron will now have to engage again in picking a viable successor with over two years of his presidential term left. Meanwhile, there are some opponents who have been calling him to resign.

‘I’m not afraid’

On Wednesday evening, Barnier kept his cool in parliament, speaking just before the far right and hard left ousted his government in a historic no-confidence vote. The 73-year-old said, “I’m not afraid. I’ve rarely been afraid in my political life.”

Brought in by Macron in September to run a minority government after inconclusive parliamentary elections, Barnier often said that knowing how “to keep one’s cool” was essential to managing the thorny task.

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Also Read: France plunges into a political crisis after PM Michel Barnier's govt ​loses no-confidence vote

Barnier hails from the Haute Savoie region of the Alps. He first become a member of France’s parliament aged just 27 in the 1970s, and entered government in the mid-1990s under the then-president, the late Jacques Chirac.

He has also served as foreign minister and twice as an EU commissioner in Brussels. He is best known internationally for taking on the job of negotiating Britain’s exit from the European Union on behalf of the bloc after the 2016 referendum.

Macron gets into job

Barnier was the fifth prime minister to serve under Macron since he came to power in 2017.

Macron will once again get into the process of picking a new premier and candidates for the post are few, but loyalist Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Macron’s centrist ally Francois Bayrou are possible contenders.

The French President could also turn to former Socialist premier and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, a contender in September.

France to get a new PM in 24 hours?

Macron is minded to appoint the new premier rapidly, a report by AFP quoted several sources as saying.

A source close to Macron said the president, who has taken time with appointments in the past, has “no choice” but to name the new premier within 24 hours.

With inputs from AFP.