France’s Macron to address nation day after no-confidence vote topples government

French President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation today [Macau time], a day after the National Assembly ousted Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a historic no-confidence vote that has left France without a functioning government.

Macron is expected to focus on stabilizing the political crisis and possibly naming a new prime minister to navigate the fractured parliament.

Barnier formally submitted his resignation yesterday at the Elysée Palace, fulfilling a constitutional obligation. The no-confidence motion passed by 331 votes in the National Assembly, forcing Barnier to step down after just three months in office—the shortest tenure of any prime minister in modern French history.

Macron faces the critical task of naming a replacement capable of leading a minority government in a parliament where no party holds a majority. Yaël Braun-Pivet, president of the National Assembly and a member of Macron’s party, urged the president to move quickly.

The process may prove challenging. Macron’s administration has yet to confirm any names, though French media have reported a shortlist of centrist candidates who might appeal to both sides of the political spectrum.