Macron blames alliance of 'extreme left and extreme right' for fall of French government

YEREVAN, DECEMBER 6, ARMENPRESS. French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the nation Thursday following the resignation of ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier, a day after a historic no-confidence vote at the National Assembly left France without a functioning government, France24 reports.

In his speech, Macron vowed to stay in office until the end of his term in 2027 and announced that he will name a new prime minister within days but gave no hints as to who that might be.

He also laid blame at the door of his opponents on the far right for bringing down Barnier's government.

They chose “not to do, but to undo”, Macron said, adding: “They chose disorder.”  

The president said the far right and the far left had united in what he called “an anti-republican front” and stressed: “I won’t shoulder other people’s irresponsibility.”

Both the left-wing New Popular Front alliance and the far-right National Rally vowed to topple the government after the right-wing Barnier pushed an unpopular social security budget bill through parliament without a vote.

Macron confirmed that a special law will be presented by mid-December to enable the state to levy taxes from January 1 and avoid a shutdown.

“Public services will be operational, businesses will be able to work,” he said. The new government will then prepare a budget law for 2025, which will allow France to invest as planned in its military, its justice and police – and also to support struggling farmers, Macron said.

Earlier in the day, Macron officially accepted Barnier's resignation following the no-confidence vote.

But Barnier and other ministers will remain “in charge of current affairs until the appointment of a new government”, the statement said.

The no-confidence motion passed by 331 votes in the National Assembly out of 574.