Opposition parties in France are uniting to censure Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government, expressing dissatisfaction with budget cuts and pension reforms. Despite attempts to negotiate, including the withdrawal of proposed medication reimbursement reductions, the National Rally remains unsatisfied. Barnier’s reliance on far-right support has drawn criticism, and concerns over a potential government collapse have affected financial markets. As tensions rise, Barnier is set to address the public in an evening interview.
Opposition Parties Unite Against Michel Barnier’s Government
On Tuesday, both the left-wing and far-right factions in France reiterated their commitment to censure Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s administration. Barnier maintains that he has taken every necessary step to appease the political factions within the Parliament.
On Monday, the French Prime Minister invoked the responsibility of his government to ensure the passage of the Social Security budget bill (PLFSS) without a parliamentary vote.
Contentions Over Budget Cuts and Pension Reforms
Despite the last-minute decision to scrap the proposed reduction in medication reimbursements set for 2025—an effort aimed at persuading the National Rally (RN) to refrain from censure—these measures fell short. The RN also insisted on halting the de-indexation of pensions from inflation starting January 1, a request that went unfulfilled.
French Economy Minister Antoine Armand expressed on France 2 that they had exhausted all avenues for dialogue, stating, “We have gone to the end of the dialogue… deputies had the choice not to plunge the country into uncertainty.”
Budget and Public Accounts Minister Laurent Saint-Martin echoed this sentiment on RTL, asserting that the government had consistently shown willingness to negotiate. He remarked, “What I observe is that I can see that now we are no longer in a dialogue on the other side. We are in permanent pretexts.”
Jean-Philippe Tanguy, an RN deputy from the Somme, reaffirmed his party’s pledge to support the censure motion against Barnier, which the leaders of the New Popular Front had submitted on Monday. “We are sure (to vote for censure) because it is our duty,” he stated during an interview on Europe 1.
Marine Tondelier, the national secretary of the Ecologists—part of the New Popular Front—argued that the current predicament illustrates Barnier’s government’s reliance on far-right support. “They have put themselves in the hands of Marine Le Pen,” she commented on franceinfo, foreseeing censure and dishonor for Barnier.
The looming threat of a government collapse has rattled the stock and bond markets in France, which is already grappling with a significant deficit. The yield gap between French and German bonds—a key indicator of investor sentiment—narrowed to 85.3 basis points after peaking at 90 basis points on Monday, marking the highest level since 2012.
As a benchmark, the 10-year yield in Germany rose by 0.5 basis points to 2.04%. In the midst of this political turmoil, Barnier is scheduled to give an interview on Tuesday evening during the 8:00 PM news on TF1 and France 2, as the left opposition and National Rally prepare to censure his government.