French government no-confidence vote set for Wednesday

PARIS  —  French members of parliament will vote Wednesday afternoon on at least one motion of no confidence that is likely to topple the French government, according to French media reports confirmed by a parliamentary aide.

On Wednesday at 4 p.m., lawmakers in the National Assembly are set to debate several motions of no-confidence put forward on Monday after Prime Minister Michel Barnier used a constitutional maneuver to bypass parliament to force through a social security financial bill. Barnier is likely to lose that vote as the left-wing New Popular Front coalition and the far-right National Front have both said they would vote against the government. Together, the two opposition forces command a majority in parliament.

The ousting of Barnier and his Cabinet risks deepening an already complicated political crisis in Paris and has raised fears across the European Union that France has become ungovernable and saddled by a spiraling budget deficit.

Should Barnier lose the vote, as is expected, he will become the shortest-serving prime minister in modern French history.

The EU’s former chief Brexit negotiator was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron in September and given the impossible mission of passing a slimmed down budget without a parliamentary majority.

Barnier is set to give an interview on French television on Tuesday evening, in what could be a last-ditch appeal to lawmakers to refrain from toppling the government.

If the parliament does oust Barnier, it would be the first time a French government has suffered the humiliation of losing a no-confidence vote since 1962.

Sarah Paillou contributed to this report.