Overview

• Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government is on the brink of collapse, with a no-confidence vote scheduled in the National Assembly on December 4.
• Marine Le Pen's Rassemblement National (RN) has confirmed it will support the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire's motion of censure, likely securing enough votes to topple the government.
• Barnier invoked Article 49.3 to pass the 2025 social security budget without a parliamentary vote, triggering backlash and the censure motions.
• President Emmanuel Macron, currently abroad, has ruled out resigning and emphasized France's stability, despite opposition calls for his departure.
• Speculation over Barnier's potential successors includes François Bayrou, Sébastien Lecornu, and Bernard Cazeneuve, though no clear parliamentary majority is in sight for any new government.