The newly-formed French government led by Prime Minister Michel Barnier is facing its first no-confidence vote in the National Assembly on Friday, with the vote expected to take place on October 8.
Report informs via Interfax that the left-wing coalition "New Popular Front" (NFP), backed by 192 deputies in the lower house of the French parliament, has initiated this move just three days after Barnier presented the government's policy report to the National Assembly.
The NFP believes that the President of the Republic should have appointed a representative from the NFP, the coalition that won the most seats in the National Assembly, to form the government at the Matignon Palace, the official residence of the Prime Minister.
Another reason cited for the no-confidence vote is the government's refusal to reconsider the controversial 2023 pension reform and the proposed 2025 budget, which the NFP describes as "the most severe in the last 25 years."
Barnier has proposed saving 60 billion euros in next year's budget, with 40 billion to be achieved through budget cuts and an additional 20 billion through tax increases. The aim is to reduce the budget deficit to 5% of GDP from 6.1% this year, which Barnier justifies by the risk of a financial crisis.