French Government Wins No-Confidence Votes

The no-confidence motions aimed to protest the European Union’s trade agreement with the MERCOSUR bloc.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence votes initiated by the far-right National Rally and hard-left France Unbowed, protesting the EU’s trade deal with MERCOSUR. Despite opposition, the EU approved the agreement last week. Both motions failed to pass, enabling the government to focus on upcoming budget discussions, which are complicated by political instability post-2024 elections. Future budget talks may see Lecornu invoke Article 49.3 to push through the finance bill without a vote.