In an effort to overcome the difficulties facing the government, French Prime Minister Bérou has requested that the National Assembly hold a vote of confidence in his government on September 8.
At a press conference held on the 25th, Bérou said that President Macron has agreed to convene a special session of National Assembly members on September 8. At that time, he will first set out the government’s overall policies, after which the National Assembly will hold a vote of confidence in the government. Only if the government gains more than half of the confidence votes will it be able to continue governing.
He said that if a “minimum level of consensus” cannot be reached, the government will have difficulty pushing the draft budget through the Assembly. His call for a vote of confidence is aimed at preventing the government from collapsing, and he hopes members of parliament can reach a consensus on the seriousness of the country’s fiscal situation and place their trust in the government. If the government succeeds in the vote of confidence on September 8, further discussions on specific measures in the draft budget will take place.
He reiterated that the key goal of the French government’s 2026 budget plan is to reduce fiscal expenditure by 43.8 billion euros (approximately 214.653 billion ringgit), so as to prevent further escalation of public debt risks.
Soon after the press conference ended, leaders of major opposition parties from both the left and far right stated they would not cast a vote of confidence in the government at that time.
Bérou announced France’s 2026 budget plan in July, and it was originally scheduled to be reviewed by the National Assembly on October 14. However, after the budget plan was announced, it was criticized by opposition parties. Since the ruling coalition does not hold a majority in the National Assembly, the budget plan is unlikely to receive more than half the votes for approval. In addition, members of the largest left-wing alliance in the Assembly, including opposition parties like France Unbowed, are supporting large-scale nationwide protests on September 10 and have said they will initiate a no-confidence vote against the government in the Assembly on September 23, placing the government in a difficult predicament.