In a surprising turn of events, the Socialist Party announced they will not support the no-confidence motion put forward by the other left-wing parties in their coalition
Recently appointed French Prime Minister François Bayrou survived a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly after Socialist and far-right MPs decided to not support a motion filed by the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party on Thursday.
The no-confidence motion came after François Bayrou’s general policy speech on Tuesday during which he outlined the new government’s roadmap.
Some of the key proposals included talks to renegotiate French President Emmanuel Macron’s highly unpopular 2023 pension reform as well as important budget cuts to rein in the country’s skyrocketing deficit.
Bayrou also promised he would not axe 4,000 jobs in the public education sector in a last-ditch attempt to convince the Socialist Party not to vote on the motion.
On Tuesday, after Bayrou’s speech, the centre-left party had threatened to vote against the Prime Minister’s new government if they did not receive additional assurances.
A fractured left-wing coalition
The Socialists’ decision provoked the ire of the rest of the parties forming the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP).
Jean-Luc Mélénchon, the firebrand leader of the hard-left France Unbowed party said on X (former Twitter) that the Socialists are “breaking apart the NFP.”
Although some members of the far-right National Rally party slammed Bayrou’s speech, far-right MP Jean-Philippe Tanguy told reporters on Tuesday the party will judge according to concrete “actions.”
Bayrou’s government may live to see another day, however, the next few weeks will be marred with difficulties as the country still doesn’t have a budget plan for 2025.
Bayrou’s predecessor Michel Barnier was toppled in December due to his budget plan proposal after far-right MPs and the NFP decided to file a no-confidence motion.
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