PARIS (AP) 鈥 France鈥檚 minority government survived a no-confidence vote on Tuesday, two weeks after taking office, getting over the first hurdle placed by left-wing lawmakers to bring down new conservative Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
The vote was a key test for Barnier, whose Cabinet is forced to rely on the far right鈥檚 good will to be able to stay in power, as exacerbated by global inflation.
The no-confidence motion was brought by a left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, composed of the hard-left France Unbowed, Socialists, Greens and Communists. It received 197 votes, far from the 289 votes needed to pass.
Following , the 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Assembly, France鈥檚 powerful lower house of parliament, is divided into three major blocs: the New Popular Front, Macron鈥檚 centrist allies and the far-right 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Rally party. None of them won an outright majority.
The far-right 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Rally group, which counts 125 lawmakers, abstained from voting the no-confidence motion. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, herself a lawmaker, said she decided to 鈥済ive a chance鈥 to the government for now.
Barnier鈥檚 Cabinet is mostly composed of members of his Republicans party and centrists from French President Emmanuel Macron鈥檚 alliance who altogether count just over 210 lawmakers.
Left-wing lawmakers denounced the choice of Barnier as prime minister as they were not given a chance to form a minority government, despite securing the most seats at the 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Assembly. This government 鈥渋s a denial of the result of the most recent legislative elections,鈥 the motion read.
Olivier Faure, head of the Socialist Party, denounced a 鈥渄emocratic hijacking,鈥 adding that 鈥渙n July 7, it was the New Popular Front that came out on top.鈥
Barnier strongly rejected Faure's accusations his government is 鈥渋llegitimate.鈥
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need the government to be reminded it鈥檚 a minority one,鈥 Barnier said. 鈥淣obody has an absolute majority.鈥
The new government is soon to face its biggest challenge as Barnier made a priority of remedying France鈥檚 indebted public finances.
鈥淭he reality we have to tell the French is that we are spending too much鈥 This cannot go on,鈥 Barnier said.
鈥淲e must fix the (state) budget, reduce our public spending, and we will indeed be asking for an exceptional tax from companies and the wealthiest French people... It鈥檚 always better to seek to be responsible rather than popular.鈥
France is to reduce its colossal debt.
The country was placed earlier this year by the EU's executive arm under a formal procedure , the first step in a long process before any member state can be hemmed in and moved to take corrective action.
In his inaugural speech to parliament last week, Barnier said he will seek to reduce France鈥檚 deficit from an estimated 6% of Gross Domestic Product now to 5% next year through a 60 billion ($66 billion) budget squeeze, with the aim to reach 3% by 2029.
To do so, he promised to cut state expenses, spend money more 鈥渆fficiently鈥 and fight tax evasion and other frauds.
The , ahead of an expected heated debated at parliament, as labor unions and left-wing opposition parties prepare to push back against some austerity measures.
