Political crisis in France. Emmanuel Macron may be forced to take over the duties of prime minister

It was a va banque move. Michel Barnier's government has tied the fate of next year's budget to its continued functioning. As a result, France will have neither a budget nor a government, because Barnier will most likely lose the no-confidence vote on December 4.

– We have reached the moment of truth that requires responsibility from everyone. Now it is up to you, parliamentarians, whether the state will adopt a well-prepared, well-thought-out budget that is necessary for our citizens, or whether we will enter uncharted waters, said French Prime Minister Michel Barnier in parliament.

The centrist government needed opposition votes to pass the budget. But neither the left nor the right want to sign up to cuts involving, for example, limiting the indexation of pensions.

France must cut spending because it is already one of the most indebted countries in Europe. Its gigantic public debt is over three trillion euros. This is 112 percent of the country's GDP, which is almost twice as much as the EU's prudential threshold. Exceeding the ceiling of 60 percent of GDP is considered excessive.

– We have had a lot of political theater in recent days. Markets are worried, their value is falling again. For the first time in history, interest on French debt is higher than on Greek debt. Greece has long been perceived as one of the weakest economies in the European Union, so this is a real rebuke to France and the current state of affairs in the country, comments Richard Lough, head of Reuters' Paris bureau.

Both the left and the right say they will vote against the government. If it fails, it will not be possible to organize early elections in France for a long time, because the French have only just voted. They will be able to go to the polls again in June at the earliest, i.e. one year after the dissolution of the previous parliament.

President Macron will try to find a new prime minister. Michel Barnier will only be responsible for the so-called “day-to-day management”. If it is not possible to secure financing, for example, for health care, a situation may arise in which Macron himself will take over the powers of prime minister.

– He will recognize that the situation is special and then, based on Article 16 of the constitution, he will start directly managing the country – says Michel Viatteau, a journalist from AFP in Poland.

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Chaos on the French political scene began after the June European elections. After his party's disastrous result, Emmanuel Macron called early parliamentary elections and lost them. The best results were achieved by the United Left and the far right of Marine Le Pen. Both of these forces were bypassed when forming a minority government.

– Macron must now drink the beer he brewed himself. He appointed a prime minister who was not elected by the people. The fact that he did not respect the will of the nation, ignoring both the left and the right, led him to a dead end, says one French resident.

– It was a lose-lose situation. Honestly, I thought the government would fall sooner. So I predict that it will be a disaster for this country – another resident echoes.

2024 ends with a political crisis in the two largest countries in the European Union. The government in Paris collapses, and the coalition supporting Olaf Scholz's government collapses in Berlin. In this situation, greater responsibility is shifting to other European capitals, including Warsaw, because Poland takes over the EU presidency on January 1.

– We have a difficult situation in Germany, where the coalition has collapsed. The President of France, who clearly stood out as the leader of European affairs, also has serious problems. In a sense, it spoils the interesting opening ceremony of the Notre Dame Cathedral after its reconstruction, says Michel Viatteau.

The inauguration of the famous monument, renovated after the fire, will take place next weekend. The leaders of 50 countries will come to Paris, including President Andrzej Duda. Donald Trump also announced his presence.