French political crisis: Here's how the day unfolded

Thank you for following this live blog with us! Here are the key takeaways:

• Michel Barnier officially resigned this morning. He will handle current affairs until a new Prime Minister is appointed.

• President Macron met with François Bayrou, leader of the centrist MoDem party, hinting at him as a potential candidate for Prime Minister.

• In a brief 10-minute speech, Macron refused to accept responsibility for the political crisis, stating, “Some want to make me responsible for this situation because it’s a more comfortable position for them.”

• Despite calls from the far-left party, La France Insoumise, Macron has made it clear he will not resign.

• Tomorrow, leaders of the Socialist, Les Républicains, and centrist blocs will meet Macron at the Élysée Palace to negotiate Barnier's successor.

Stay tuned to Euronews for the latest updates on the formation of the new government.

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"The real irresponsibility in the budget debate is to have sacrificed access to healthcare, low-income pensioners, nursing homes and public hospitals," Olivier Faure said on X.

"The only anti-Republican front I know of is the one that panders to the far right, trivialises it and negotiates exclusively with it," said Faure. 

Macron has extended invitations to leaders from Les Républicains and the centrist group comprising Renaissance and MoDem.

Meanwhile, on France 2, Jordan Bardella of the National Rally (RN) expressed his desire to be involved: “I hope the new Prime Minister can meet with us very soon,” he said. So far, no meeting with RN representatives has been scheduled.

The representatives of the Socialist Party in the French Assembly and Senate will be received by Emmanuel Macron this Friday, according to French newspaper Le Parisien.

The presidential camp has been attempting to court the Socialist Party (part of the left-wing coalition NFP) for the past few days in an attempt to strike a deal that could assure the future Prime minister's survival. 

"A quick reminder to President Macron, who is supposed to be the guarantor of the Constitution: a no-confidence vote is not anti-Republican, it is enshrined in the Constitution of our Fifth Republic," Marine Le Pen wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

The figure of the far-right National Rally (RN) hit back at Macron's speech where he blamed the far-right and left-wing coalition of "creating disorder" in the country by toppling the government. 

Another RN MP expressed disappointment with Macron's brief speech: "Ten minutes to explain that nothing will change for the next 30 months. Macron is so far from reality... The French deserve better," tweeted David Magnier. 

Following Macron’s speech, MEP Manon Aubry reacted on X:

"Emmanuel Macron this evening: 'I am not responsible for anything, and I will change nothing,'" Aubry wrote, referring to the French president criticising the left-wing coalition Nouveau Front Populaire over the no-confidence vote.

“With the same arrogance and contempt for the French people, and a denial of the election results. A madman holed up in the Élysée. It’s time for him to go,” she added, calling for his resignation.

She was not the only one to call for it: "Macron insults everyone, absolves himself of his actions and announces nothing. He's got to go," said Clémence Guetté, an MP from the France Unbowed party (LFI). 

“The mandate you have democratically entrusted to me is a five-year mandate, and I will exercise it fully until the end,” said President Emmanuel Macron.

Calls have been multiplying among the left-wing coalition, especially the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party for Macron to resign.

However, constitutionally, the President is not obligated to do so and new presidential elections will not impact the composition of the highly fragmented National Assembly.

President Macron has announced that he will appoint a new Prime Minister in the coming days.

“I will task them with forming a government of national interest, representing all political forces within the Republican arc,” he stated.

The new government's top priority will be the budget, with a temporary law to ensure the continued operation of public services. Macron also indicated that early next year, a new budget law will be introduced by the government to avoid any tax increases linked to inflation.

President Macron said in an address that his decision to call for snap elections earlier in the year was not understood, adding that "I gave you back your voice".

"I allowed the Prime Minister to govern and the parliament to legislate,” he said.

“The far-right and far-left have united in an anti-Republican front with the help of forces that, until yesterday, governed France,” apparently targeting members of the Socialist Party.

“Some want to make me responsible for this situation because it’s a more comfortable position for them,” Macron said, refusing to shoulder the blame, particularly with the holidays approaching.

“I want to thank Michel Barnier for his dedication, tenacity, and tireless work. He and his team rose to the occasion when others did not,” said President Emmanuel Macron.

President Macron is set to address the nation in just 5 minutes, where he will discuss the dissolution of the government.

While he will likely reflect on the setback and outline the way forward, sources from the Élysée have confirmed that no new appointments will be announced this evening.

“We are following very closely what is happening in France regarding next year’s annual budget,” a European Commission spokesperson said.

He remained optimistic, adding that their "initial analysis suggests that the current situation in France is having a rather limited economic impact. For now, the macroeconomic situation in France remains stable."

European diplomats, however, note that the internal crisis is weakening France’s position on the European stage.

“Obviously, Emmanuel Macron is in a weaker position, and that is a concern,” one diplomat told AFP, adding that France “cannot fully focus on the major policy directions within the EU.”

One burning issue is the Mercosur agreement, which France opposes, but the Commission is nonetheless close to approving.

Brando Benifei, MEP (S&D, Italy) and a member of the Committee on International Trade, told Euronews that the crisis is likely to continue for months. "I am not convinced that the governmental crisis will affect the Commission’s process of concluding the negotiations, because France’s opposition is not just a government stance but is widely shared by the public. Both forces responsible for the government's collapse are sceptical of the agreement."

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In a post shared on X, the centre-right group of the European Parliament blamed the centre-left group as being responsible for the collapse of the French government.

While the Socialists were one of several left-wing parties behind the motion of no confidence, it was voted on by 331 French MPs, including those from both the far-right and far-left.

A teacher in Paris told Euronews that it's not normal that "the effort always comes from below," as she went on strike over the government's budget changes that brought it down on Wednesday in a no-confidence vote.

Marlène, a 38-year-old teacher at a private school, said she was particularly angry about the proposed changes in the budget concerning sick leave for civil servants.

The government had proposed increasing the number of sick days without pay from one to three days for civil servants as part of their budget.

"It is extremely important for us to be there to show that we can't take this contempt from the government and its lies any more," she told Euronews.

French journalists leaked a sober and very short resignation letter from Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

"Since the Assembly has adopted a no-confidence motion, I have the honour of submitting the resignation of the government," he wrote.

The letter's style stands in stark contrast to the exhaustive resignation letter of his predecessor, Gabriel Attal, in July, in which he expressed to Emmanuel Macron his infinite gratitude and said that "three words came to mind: recognition, passion, and duty."

The no-confidence vote in France is "simply proof that there is, at this moment, a president of the Republic who is not responsible, who does not take stock of what is happening (in the country), in Parliament and in the Senate," Anne Souyris, a French senator from Paris, told Euronews on Thursday.

Souyris, who is a member of the Green party, was speaking on the sidelines of a protest outside the finance ministry and added that there are problems in hospitals, schools, and care homes in the country.

"If there is not a rapid, serious and responsible action from the state, we will find ourselves in a very serious situation."

"I hope this demonstration will be a wake-up call for the new Prime Minister and the new government that will be put in place," she added.

Souyris also wants Macron to name a new prime minister this evening "who represents the majority of this country".

"I hope tonight he will name someone who has an ecological and social perspective, as the French asked for in June," she said, referring to the snap election where the leftist coalition topped the polls.

Media reports say the French president aims to appoint a new Prime Minister before Saturday, 7th December — the same date of the grand reopening of Notre-Dame Cathedral, five years after it was destroyed in an accidental fire.

However, the growing speculation around the Prime Minister’s nomination risks overshadowing the significance of the inauguration itself.

More than a hundred prominent figures, including around fifty heads of state, are expected to attend the Paris ceremony for which a huge amount of security has been mobilised by Paris police.

The event will see notable guests including Donald Trump (possibly accompanied by Elon Musk), European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, the King and Queen of Belgium, the King of Spain, Prince Albert II of Monaco, Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and his wife, Maria Teresa, as well as Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar and a benefactor of the cathedral.

Joe Biden will be absent but will be represented by his wife, Jill Biden.

Trump set to attend Notre Dame reopening in first trip since election

France’s famous cathedral will reopen Saturday after five years of reconstruction following a devastating fire in 2019. #EuropeNews…

The general secretaries of two of France's largest trade union confederations have said they were "worried" about the state of the country.

"I'm worried. This is not the time to be optimistic or pessimistic. The question is to know if, finally, social issues will really be at the top of the pile of priority files of the executive," said Marylise Léon of the French Democratic Confederation of Labour.

The head of the General Confederation of Labour (CGT) Sophie Binet, said, "The CGT would like to express its concern about the seriousness of the situation the country is going through".

Binet said her union was concerned about employment, public services and pension reform.

Unions have called on public sector workers to strike and protest against the removal of social benefits outlined in the government’s budget plan, which Barnier passed on Wednesday evening without support — triggering a no confidence vote against him.

Ousted Prime Minister Barnier has handed in his resignation to Emmanuel Macron, the Elysee Palace confirmed.

The Prime Minister has today submitted the resignation of his government to the President of the Republic who has taken note of it," the Elysée Palace said in a press release. 

The palace added that Barnier would work with members of the government to handle affairs until a new government is appointed.

Barnier's resignation was widely expected after he lost a confidence vote put against him on Wednesday night. Macron now faces the challenge of finding his replacement, as he himself faces calls to step down from across the political spectrum.

Members of Michel Barnier’s centre-right party, Les Républicains (LR), are set to meet via video conference at 3pm, following a last-minute call by their party president, Laurent Wauquiez.

Among the names circulating to replace Michel Barnier, only one from LR seems to stand out: François Barouin, former Finance Minister under Nicolas Sarkozy.

In an interview on France 2 yesterday, Wauquiez said he would not oppose the new government—whether his party is part of it or not.

“We won’t engage in obstruction or adopt a worst-case strategy (...), we won’t bring down the government, we won’t do what Marine Le Pen has done,” he said.

Les Républicains have stated that their conditions for cooperation include “less waste of public funds,” “valuing those who work,” and “security.”

Emmanuel Macron has made his first comments today on the Mercosur trade deal — seemingly ignoring a domestic political crisis unfurling on his doorstep.

"The draft agreement between the EU and Mercosur is unacceptable in its current form" a statement from the Elysee Palace said, adding that Macron had relayed the comments to President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen.

"We will continue to tirelessly defend our agricultural sovereignty" the statement reads.

The Mercosur trade deal is a long-delayed pact between the EU and South America's Mercosur bloc, which includes Brazil and Argentina.

Von der Leyen is currently in Uruguay to finalise the pact, which critics — notably European farmers — say will lead to cheap imports of South American commodities which are not subject to the same food safety standards as in Europe.

Le Parisien has reported that François Bayrou is currently in discussions with the President of the Republic over lunch.

Bayrou, the leader of MoDem, a centrist party allied with Renaissance since Macron’s 2017 rise to power, is among the favourites to succeed Barnier as Prime Minister.

The former justice minister is friendly with both Marine Le Pen and left-wing parties, which would be key to the role that would oversee a fractured parliament.

Earlier today, Emmanuel Macron met with Yaël Braun-Pivet, President of the National Assembly, and is scheduled to meet Gérard Larcher, President of the Senate, at 3pm — part of the standard procedure for forming a new government.

The heads of the Socialist Party have asked Emmanuel Macron to meet with party leaders and presidents of the National Assembly and the Senate to compare perspectives and find a way out of the crisis.

The Socialist Party joined a broad left-wing alliance called the New Popular Front (NFP) in France's summer legislative elections, with the general aim of pushing out right-wing parties.

The NFP won 182 seats, ahead of Macron's centrist Ensemble coalition who came second with 168 MPs.

A coalition of seven trade union organisations gathered outside the Ministry of Finance in Bercy at 2pm before marching towards Place d'Italie.

The unions have called on public sector workers to strike and protest against the removal of social benefits outlined in the government’s budget plan, which Barnier passed on Wednesday evening without support — triggering a no confidence vote against him.

Henri, a 60-year-old French civil servant from the country's Ministry of Ecology, said he was at the protest to defend workers' rights.

He expressed concerns about the government's proposed budget, particularly regarding compensation and sick leave for civil servants, which he described as unjustified. He, like much of France, is waiting to see what will happen with the next government.

Emmanuel Macron's job is growing increasingly tense, an expert tells Euronews.

"Constitutionally, it doesn't mean anything" says French political analyst Francois Valentin.

"He's (Macron) not responsible in front of parliament so he could continue having a new prime minister every six months without consequences".

"Politically however, he's in an increasingly uncomfortable situation. He's the one who, completely on his own and without telling his allies, decided to dissolve parliament. He lost nearly half of his parliamentary support and damaged his relationship with his MPs".

"If the deadlock continues more and more people will try to press him to resign to break the Gordian knot by providing a democratic solution out of this. It's currently very unlikely but the pressure will mount. Even within his own political family, such as his former prime minister Edouard Philippe, some are getting ready for this kind of scenario just in case".

German newspapers were relatively quiet on the political chaos in France, with the story not featured as a top headline for multiple outlets.

Germany is currently dealing with its own political crisis after the government's ruling majority collapsed when leader Olaf Scholz fired his finance minister, setting snap elections early next year.

Austrian daily Der Standard called the collapse of the French government a victory for French extremist parties, and wasted no time blaming Emmanuel Macron for the chaos.

"The French president does not recognise how unpopular and politically isolated he is and how much Le Pen and Mélenchon are in a hurry" the paper said.

"The longer Macron remains in the Elysee, the stronger the radical opposition to the right or left becomes – both anti-business and pro-Putin. And both are devastating for Europe, which is already weakened".

Swiss daily, the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, said, "France must be save and not only for its citizens, but also for for Europe. If another government fails in the next few months, not only France's reputation suffers, but also that of the president."

Michel Barnier has left the Elysee Palace after just over an hour of talks with Emmanuel Macron.

The palace will see a flurry of ministers this afternoon including the leader of the country's parliament, Yael Braun-Pivet, and the head of the Senate, Gerard Larcher, before Macron will deliver a speech at 8pm this evening.

Although there has not yet been any comment from the palace, Barnier was expected to hand in his resignation to the French leader after being toppled by a no-confidence vote. In doing so, he has become the first prime minister to be removed by a no-confidence vote in 60 years, in just three months after taking office.

Barnier, formerly the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, said “I can tell you that it will remain an honour for me to have served France and the French with dignity,” in his final speech before the vote on Wednesday.

Millions of civil servants have been called to strike on Thursday by multiple labour unions organisations.

Demonstrations are planned across France to oppose the spendings cuts proposed in the 2025 budget plan presented by Barnier's government. 

From hospital workers, teachers, to energy sector workers -- the strike is expected to create significant disruptions across the country.

Multiple airports in Paris, Marseille and Toulouse are set to see flights cancelled.

Our reporters Sophia Khatsenkova and Lauren Chadwick will be covering the Paris protest live on Euronews from 2pm CET. 

Emmanuel Macron has an urgent and daunting task ahead of him: picking a replacement for ousted Michel Barnier in a fractured and divided parliament. Here are some of the names put forward by Macron's entourage and other parties

• Sébastien Lecornu - The outgoing minister of armed forces, Lecornu is the only minister to have been in government since Macron came to power in 2017. He has good relations with the conservative right-wing party, The Republicans (LR), but his nomination could create disagreements among Macron’s more left-leaning MPs. 

• François Bayrou - President of the centrist party Democratic Movement (MoDem). A close supporter of Emmanuel Macron in 2017, the MoDem leader has distanced himself in recent years, but remains an influential figure in president's entourage. He is said to be respected by a majority of the MPs, including on the far right National Rally side.

• François Barouin - Former finance minister under Nicolas Sarkozy, Barouin comes from the conservative right-wing LR party but maintains good relations with the Socialist party and has no ongoing disputes with the far-right, according to Le Parisien.

• Lucie Castets - Economist and civil servant. She is the left-wing coalition NFP’s top pick since this summer. However, Macron swiftly rejected her nomination, angering the left who believe the Prime minister should come from their ranks. Castets said on Tuesday that she was “prepared to govern".

Right now, Michel Barnier is at the Elysee Palace, where he is expected to hand in his resignation to Emmanuel Macron.

The President of the Assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, will arrive at approximately 12 pm local time.

Macron will address the nation at 8pm this evening. The president is under immense pressure to appoint a new prime minister quickly, in order to pass through an emergency budget measure to keep the country running.

French leader Emmanuel Macron's approval ratings are low, even in a country that has a history of unpopular presidents.

The latest crisis, arguably caused by Macron's decision to call snap legislative elections in the summer, looks set to only deepen his unpopularity.

Why is the French leader so disliked?

Why is Emmanuel Macron so disliked by French voters?

Analysts say that Macron’s decision to dissolve parliament was not understood by French voters. #EuropeNews…

Ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier is on his way to Elysee Palace, where he is expected to hand in his resignation to Emmanuel Macron.

Once he hands in his resignation, Barnier will become the shortest serving prime minister in France's modern political history.

Macron will then face the task of appointing a new prime minister in a fractured parliament, where no party has a majority and divisions run deep.

Entrepreneurs in the metal, textile, and furniture industries are worried about the political instability in France. According to the Portuguese newspaper ECO, “the automotive components sector is the most exposed to the French market”.

“We're worried but confident that the French economy is more solid than the French state. So far, there has been no significant impact”, said Rafael Campos Pereira, vice president of the Association of Metallurgical, Metalworking and Related Industries of Portugal.

"All sectors will lose," Minister of the Economy Antoine Armand said on France 2 on Tuesday, sounding the alarm over France's uncertain economic outlook.

"In a country that has no budget, in an economy that plunges into uncertainty, there is no sector that wins, no French people who win, no company that wins".

Negotiations over the French budget brought Barnier's government down, with the country preparing to implement an emergency budget once a new prime minister is selected.

The current political crisis brings more uncertainty to France's economy which is already weak, suffering from flat growth and large amounts of debt.

Italian daily Corriere della sera ran an editorial with the headline "Macronism is over" Thursday morning, in reaction to the news that France's minority government had toppled Wednesday night.

Other papers pointed out that France is also on the precipice of financial ruin. Barnier was supposed to visit Rome Thursday-Friday — a trip that has now been cancelled.

Italy is known for short-lived govenments, yet current prime minister Giorgia Meloni is in the third year of her mandate and seemingly stable, spurring quips among Italians on social media on how unusual it is to see France, Germany and the UK have their governments fall.

"Yes, I am available and I wrote it to the PR" Socialist Party member Ségolène Royal said on Thursday morning.

Royal is France's former minister for energy, and ran an unsuccessful presidential bid in 2007. She previously offered herself as candidate for prime minister prior to Barnier's appointment in August.

"I owe it to all women and girls," Royal added.

Macron is left scrambling to find a prime minister to replace Barnier after his minority government was toppled last night.

President of the National Assembly Yaël Braun-Pivet called the fall of the government a "collective failure" on France Inter Thursday morning.

"We have not managed to dialogue enough, to build enough together. But it has to be done," the politician, who belongs to Macron's Renaissance party, said.

"We now have to find the means to bring stability, to provide the country with a budget. We must not waste time."

An emergency budget is likely to be passed in the next month. Any budget, however, still requires a new prime minister to pass it — leaving Macron under pressure to appoint a new person to the job quickly.

A poll by Toluna Harris shows the French people divided.

53% agree with the outcome of the no-confidence vote, but a bigger majority, 83%, are concerned about its consequences.

64% said they were in favour of Macron resigning.

 "I think that if we want to bring back a situation of stability, it requires the departure of the President of the Republic," the co-ordinater of left-wing La France insoumise Manuel Bompard said on French TV this morning.

In snap parliamentary elections in the summer, the party ran as part of the left-wing alliance Nouveau Front populaire, receiving 178 of the 577 seats in parliament.

French President Emmanuel Macron's term doesn't end until spring 2027. The leader has rebuffed calls to step down so far, pledging to continue his tenure "with all my energy, to the last second".

Nevertheless, he faces dismal approval ratings with an opinion poll in late November showing he only had 22% of the French public's support.

Barely in and already out, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier will formally resign to French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday morning at 10am following a no-confidence motion which toppled his government the night before. 

Barnier on Monday invoked a rarely used constitutional mechanism to push through the contentious 2025 budget without parliamentary approval, arguing it was essential to maintain “stability” amid deep political divisions. 

Yet Barnier’s proposed austerity budget — slashing €40 billion in spending and raising taxes by €20 billion euros — has only deepened divisions, inflaming tensions in the lower house and triggering a dramatic political confrontation. 

The move immediately drew a sharp backlash, with Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally and the leftist New Popular Front, the latter bringing forward a no-confidence vote.

Both the left and right wing of France’s National Assembly united in favour of Wednesday’s no-confidence vote. A total of 331 MPs supported the motion out of 577 total lawmakers. A minimum of 288 votes were needed. 

The no-confidence vote in the National Assembly automatically rejects Barnier’s controversial budget bill. It is currently being examined by the Senate after being rejected by the lower parliamentary house but has very little chance of being adopted. 

Far-right leader Le Pen said on Wednesday Barnier was “the only one responsible for tonight’s situation,” in the wake of the no-confidence vote. 

“All (Barnier) had to do was agree not to de-index pensions (from inflation), not to take it out on pensioners, for this situation not to exist,” the party leader added.

 Macron insisted he will serve the rest of his term until 2027. However, he will need to appoint a new prime minister for the second time after the summer’s legislative elections led to a deeply divided parliament.

No new legislative elections can be held until at least July, creating a potential stalemate for policymakers. 

• France's politics are in turmoil after Prime Minister Michel Barnier lost a no-confidence vote, becoming part of the shortest-lived administration in French history.
• The New Popular Front, an alliance of left-leaning parties that has the most seats in parliament, tabled a no confidence vote backed by the far right National Rally, who are the single largest party, bringing Barnier's minority government down.
• The chaos stems from a controversial budget proposal, which Barnier pushed through parliament without support, triggering a no-confidence motion against him.
• Despite deciding to topple Barnier's government, MPs had mixed responses with Marine Le Pen of National Rally refusing to call the vote a victory, insisting her party had "no other choice".

Left and right parties supported the no-confidence vote that toppled Barnier's government Wednesday evening, but so far their reactions have been mixed.

French far-right leader Le Pen claims government fall ‘is no victory’

Once Michel Barnier formally resigns, he will become the shortest-serving prime minister in France’s modern history. #EuropeNews…