French government falls in historic no-confidence vote

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00:00For the adoption, 331.

00:03The majority required has been reached. The first motion of censure has been adopted.

00:09Michel Barnier is no longer France's Prime Minister.

00:12The 73-year-old was ousted in a vote of no confidence in parliament on Wednesday evening.

00:18Addressing French MPs beforehand, Barnier called the vote a moment of truth and responsibility.

00:25What's at stake is our collective ability to make strides toward one another,

00:30to get over tensions and divisions that hurt our country so much,

00:34to have as sole compass the general interest.

00:41A majority of 331 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion.

00:46Barnier's leadership was called into question after he used special powers

00:50to push through his controversial budget without a vote on Monday.

00:54That led to an unlikely alliance between the radical left and the far right,

00:58who both tabled motions of no confidence after accusing Barnier of failing to listen to their demands.

01:05This is a historic day which holds a powerful message for the country.

01:10The only sovereign in the republic and in our democracy is the people.

01:14In a heated debate before the vote, the leader of the right-wing party, the Republicans,

01:18said the far right and the radical left were choosing chaos over responsibility.

01:23Barnier warned that ousting him would be catastrophic for state finances,

01:27as the country is struggling to tame a growing deficit.

01:30His fall from power is the latest turn in what has been a tumultuous few months for French politics.

01:36Appointed by President Emmanuel Macron in September,

01:39Barnier has been in office for nearly a year.

01:42Appointed by President Emmanuel Macron in September,

01:44Barnier has been in a vulnerable position from the start.

01:47Snap parliamentary elections in June left the National Assembly without an absolute majority.

01:52Macron will address the nation on Thursday evening.

01:56He is expected to appoint a new prime minister very quickly, potentially as early as this weekend.

02:02But any new face will come across the same challenges as Barnier in a divided parliament.

02:07A political deadlock which looks set to continue,

02:10as France can't hold new parliamentary elections before July next year.

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