PARIS, France: In a dawn vote on Saturday, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne managed to evade parliamentary censure after successfully pushing the government’s budget plan through the National Assembly without a formal vote.
This marked the 18th censure motion directed at Borne since she took office, with the left-wing Nupes alliance initiating the latest motion. The prime minister resorted to Article 49.3 to pass the public finance bill without a formal vote, prompting the censure motion.
However, the motion fell short, garnering only 193 of the required 289 votes to pass. This outcome was expected, given the lack of support from the center-right.
The rejection of the censure motion effectively signifies the adoption of the 2023-2027 budget program, which will now proceed to the Senate, the upper house of the French parliament.
Philippe Brun, the spokesperson for Nupes and a socialist, criticized the government, accusing them of prioritizing a well-endowed minority in the face of a significant inflationary crisis.
President Emmanuel Macron also faced criticism for his consistent use of Article 49.3, with accusations that it undermines the role of parliament. The far right aligned with the left in supporting the censure motion, condemning Borne for what they perceived as an excessive and repeated utilization of Article 49.3.
In response, Prime Minister Borne dismissed the criticism from both factions, labelling it as “demagoguery” and highlighting that they lacked an alternative budgetary approach.
It’s worth noting that earlier this year, the government also employed Article 49.3 to push through controversial pension reforms, which led to widespread protests and civil unrest.
