Marine Le
Pen renews threat to back censure motion that could topple Barnier as PM
Speculation
that French prime minister may force through budget has given left and far
right common ground
Kim Willsher
Mon 25 Nov
2024 14.29 CET
The French
far-right leader Marine Le Pen has repeated her threat to back a censure motion
that could topple the French prime minister, Michel Barnier, after the two met
for talks on his government’s budget.
Barnier has
been meeting party leaders to persuade them to back the budget in parliament
amid speculation that the prime minister – appointed by the president, Emmanuel
Macron, at the head of a minority government – may attempt to use a
constitutional clause to force it through without a vote.
The leftwing
coalition, the New Popular Front (NFP), has already threatened to table a
censure motion if Barnier uses the measure, known as the 49:3, to push through
the 2025 budget.
After
Monday’s meeting, Le Pen said she had reminded the prime minister of the
far-right National Rally’s (RN) “red lines”, which include dropping budget
plans to increase taxes on electricity and the delaying of increases to certain
pensions to cover inflation.
“We will see
if today’s proposals are taken on board, but nothing is certain,” Le Pen said.
BFMTV
reported that the RN is due to decide whether to lodge the censure motion at a
meeting on 18 December, throwing doubt on whether Barnier could continue in his
post.
Le Pen, who
is president of the RN parliamentary group in the Assemblée Nationale, said
Barnier was “courteous” at Monday’s meeting but appeared “fixed on his
position”.
If MPs for
the NFP and RN all vote for the censure motion it will pass and the government
will fall.
Barnier has
described any alliance of left and far right to overturn the government as a
“coalition of opposites”.
Last week,
during a conference of French mayors, he said: “I know this is not what the
French want. What they want is stability and serenity.”
Another RN
source told BFMTV: “He [Barnier] listened to us but did not hear us. I don’t
have the feeling he has understood that things have changed.”
Barnier was
made prime minister by Macron at the beginning of September after July’s snap
general election.
Macron had
hoped that the election would strengthen his position but the move backfired,
forcing his centrist government to resign and leaving the lower house of
parliament divided into three equal blocs – far right, left and centre – none
of which has an absolute majority.
Last week,
leaders of the parties in the NFP coalition, including France Unbowed (LFI),
the Socialists (PS), the French Communist party (PCF) and the Greens said in a
statement they would attempt to bring the government down if the 49:3 was used.
“Our aim is
simple: to protect our fellow citizens from the impact of a budget that will
not open the way for a new future for the country but will prolong the social
divide, ecological irresponsibility and democratic brutality,” they wrote.
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