French PM risks tumbling in hostile parliament vote [Video]

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier faces the biggest risk yet of being deposed by a hostile National Assembly as his government presents Monday a social security financing plan that has the opposition up in arms.

Barnier, a conservative appointed by President Emmanuel Macron in September in the wake of an inconclusive general election, has no majority in parliament and lives under the constant threat of a no-confidence vote that would, if successful, force him and his team to step down.

Key to any such vote is Marine Le Pen, the parliamentary leader of the far-right National Rally that has expressed its opposition to several aspects of the government’s 2025 budget plan, including the social security financing project to be debated in the National Assembly.

These include planned cuts in employer social contributions, a partial end to inflation-indexing of pensions and a less generous prescription drug reimbursement policy.

If Barnier fails …