A vote of no confidence by the left-wing opposition in the French government led by Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne failed on Monday in Paris.

The motion received only 146 of the 289 required votes.

However, the vote in the National Assembly revealed that the electoral alliance of left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI), communists, socialists and greens is more solid than expected.

Michael Wiegel

Political correspondent based in Paris.

  • Follow I follow

Led by the radical Left Party, moderate socialists, communists and the Greens have also joined in the goal of overthrowing the government just weeks after parliamentary elections.

"You are a democratic anomaly, Madame Borne," said LFI parliamentary group leader Mathilde Panot to the Prime Minister.

She accused the head of government of escaping reality.

"They want to continue the ultra-liberal course," said Panot.

Prime Minister Borne appealed to the MPs' sense of responsibility.

Inflation is high, the French expect concrete help to strengthen their purchasing power.

The Ukraine war is also having a negative impact on the economic situation, and Russia could stop supplying gas entirely.

"France needs an effective government," said Borne.

She confronted the left-wing alliance with the question of why it rejected the government's proposals across the board.

"What alternatives do you suggest?" Borne asked.

In her government statement she had campaigned for project-related majorities.

She refused to work with the Left Party or the Rassemblement National (RN).

The leader of the LFI parliamentary group, Panot, had announced the motion of no confidence even before the Prime Minister's government statement.

Socialists, Greens and Communists initially expressed doubts about the vote of no confidence.

The refusal of the head of government to ask the vote of confidence on her own initiative accelerated the closing of ranks by the left-wing parties.

"Madame Borne, you have no legitimacy, neither politically nor in parliament," Panot said on Monday.

Borne countered: "You didn't win the elections." In her speech, the left-wing parliamentary group leader held the opposition parties on the right jointly liable: "You are jointly responsible for continuing the government course if you don't vote with us!" The right-wing conservative party Les Républicains (LR) and RN had announced that they would not join the motion of no confidence.

“We are the party of order.

That is why we do not approve the motion of censure.

But we are not expressing our confidence in you either," said LR MP Michèle Tabarot to the head of government.

It is part of the habit that the head of government asks the vote of confidence in parliament at the beginning of a legislative period.

There is no obligation to do so.

The first French prime minister, socialist Edith Cresson, abstained from voting.

Borne also refrained from doing so in order not to have to reveal any weaknesses.

Above all, she feared appearing like a head of government graced by the extreme right.

With 245 deputies, the presidential camp is 44 votes short of an absolute majority.

Marine Le Pen abstains

The leader of the Rassemblement National (RN), Marine Le Pen, positioned her party as the antithesis to the left alliance.

She stated that she had no interest in overthrowing the government.

“The left alliance does not defend the interests of the French.

They just want to blow up the republic,” Le Pen said. RN MPs abstained.

The far-right party wants to appear as a constructive force in the eyes of voters.

Le Pen urged the 89 MEPs in her group to dress neatly and behave well.

"No floral shirts and no flip-flops," she said.

"Be polite to the parliamentary staff, don't be arrogant, don't forget our voters," she recommended to her group.

The men were instructed to wear ties.

"We are not La France Insoumise,

The aim of the vote of confidence for the Left Alliance was to be perceived as the most important opposition force.

Between 2017 and 2022, the left-wing party LFI repeatedly drew attention to itself with spectacular protest actions.

But Le Pen was perceived as President Macron's most important political rival.

This has persuaded the spokesman of the Left Party, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, to change strategy.

He convinced the reluctant Socialists, Communists and Greens of an alliance strategy.

The common goal is to prevent Macron's structural reforms.

"The umbilical cord between the Elysée Palace and the National Assembly has been cut," said LFI MP Francois Ruffin.

The leader of the Socialist Party (PS), Olivier Faure, misses the willingness to compromise in the government camp.

"What concessions is the ruling faction willing to make?" asked Faure.