French President Emmanuel Macron has said that he will nominate a new Prime Minister “within the coming days” to replace Michel Barnier, who was ousted in a no-confidence vote a day before.
“I will name a new Prime Minister within the coming days. I will instruct him to form a government of general interest representing all the political forces,” Macron said on Thursday evening in a national address delivered 24 hours after the historic non-confidence vote, Xinhua news agency reported.
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The vote marked a significant political crisis for France, forcing a Prime Minister to step down for the first time since 1962 and making Barnier’s government the first to fall to such a motion in over six decades.
On Thursday morning, Barnier formally submitted his resignation to Macron. Pending the formation of a new government, Macron has tasked Barnier with leading a caretaker administration to manage current affairs, the Elysee Palace said in a press statement.
Moreover, in his speech, Macron reaffirmed his commitment to the presidency amid calls from a left-wing alliance for him to resign.
“The mandate you have given me is for five years and I will exercise it until the very end,” he said.
Looking ahead, Macron said that the new government will present a revised budget “at the very beginning of next year”.
He added that a special law would be proposed in Parliament to extend the terms of the 2024 budget into 2025 to ensure the continuity of public services.
With less than a month remaining to approve the 2025 national budget and Barnier’s government collapse, the urgency of resolving the political deadlock has intensified.
