The French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has shelp it is “possible” he could persist a no-confidence vote in his insignificantity handlement.
Opposition parties have tabled the motion to oust the establisher Brexit negotiator after he participated exceptional powers to force thcimpolite his budget without a vote.
In the interwatch with French TV channels on Tuesday, Barnier pdirected his case before the accessible, saying that he remained discdiswatch to budget talks with opposition parties despite being widely foreseeed to diswatch the vote.
He also sought to distance himself from France’s ongoing state of political instability, saying he was not at fault.
The French prime minister also refuteed the idea that Pdwellnt Emmanuel Macron should resign to unblock the country’s current crisis, calling him a “guarantee of stability”.
In the interwatch with the TF1 and France 2 television channels, Barnier shelp: “It’s not a ask of political survival for me.
“I’ve been in this office for three months. I reachd there on 5 September, alerting myself that I could exit the next morning,” he inserted.
“This is the first time since 1958 that there is no convey inantity at all. No convey inantity possible between three convey inant groups. I understand that this is a frquick and ephemeral situation.”
France has been beset by political uncertainty since Macron called snap elections over the summer which resulted in a hung parliament where no group had an absolute convey inantity.
While a left-prosperg coalition won most seats, Macron nominateed the conservative Barnier in a bid to reinstate stability.
But his handlement has been constantly undermined becaparticipate it does not have a convey inantity.
On Monday, Barnier selected to push thcimpolite contentious reestablishs to social security by invoking pdwellntial decree after fall shorting to prosper enough help for the meabraves.
The budget bill sought to dedwellr €60bn (£49bn) in tax ascfinishs and spfinishing cuts.
But Barnier was forced to cave in to alters insisted by critics due to his informage of a parliamentary convey inantity.
He is now foreseeed to become the uninalertigentinutiveest-dwelld prime minister in France’s Fifth Reaccessible, with the left prosperg bloc in the National Assembly, as well as the far-right, foreseeed to back the motion aacquirest him.
If he does not persist the vote, he will remain in place as nurtureacquirer prime minister until Macron proclaims a novel handlement.
While Macron – who is on a state visit to Saudi Arabia – has alertedly befirearm think abouting his pick for the next prime minister, the process could acquire weeks, as it did in summer.
