French far right party likely to back no-confidence motion against government

PARIS (Reuters) – France’s far-right National Rally (RN) party will likely back a no-confidence motion against the government in the coming days unless there is a “last minute miracle”, RN president Jordan Bardella said on Monday.

RN lawmaker Marine Le Pen has given Prime Minister Michel Barnier until Monday to yield to the party’s budget demands or face the threat that they would back a no-confidence motion against his government, which would lead to its collapse.

“The RN will trigger the no-confidence vote mechanism unless thee is a last minute miracle if (PM) Michel Barnier revises his copy before 15h00 but I have little hope of that,” Bardella told RTL radio.

Barnier dropped a planned electricity tax increase last week, but the RN also wants him to raise pensions in line with inflation whereas he had aimed to increase some of them less than inflation to save money.

The RN is also calling for planned cuts to medication reimbursements to be scrapped and is unhappy the government may raise tax on gas. It also wants a reduction in France’s contribution to the European Union’s budget among other demands.

The standoff between the government could come to a head as early as Monday if Barnier has to use aggressive constitutional powers to force a social security financing bill through, which would inevitably trigger a no-confidence motion from the left.

France is facing a difficult financial and economic situation due to the risk that the country’s budget may be blocked in parliament, Pierre Moscovici, head of France’s public audit office, said on Monday.

“Our financial situation today is dangerous,” Moscovici told France 2 television.