In France, the government collapsed after lawmakers of both left and right wings joined forces to push a vote of no confidence against the country’s Prime Minister Michel Barnier.
A total of 331 lawmakers from both the leftwing New Popular Front alliance and the far-right National Rally supported a no-confidence motion in the country’s lower house, far exceeding the 288 votes needed to pass the motion.
The Prime Minister addressed the nation just before the vote, calling it an honour to have served France and its people with dignity. He had been on the job for just two months and 29 days. With the vote of confidence against him, Mr Barnie will now have to tender his resignation and that of his government to President Emmanuel Macron, making his minority government’s tenure the shortest lived in France’s Fifth Republic beginning in 1958. President Macron is scheduled to address the nation this evening, with Prime Minister Barnier expected to submit his formal resignation beforehand.
