France in political chaos as Paris gears up for the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral
As French President Emmanuel Macron prepared for the reopening of the Notre-Dame Cathedral, he faces calls to step down after his prime minister resigned and the government collapsed.
PARIS — The reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral should have been a victory lap for French President Emmanuel Macron. Instead, the celebrations are shadowed by calls for him to step down after Prime Minister Michel Barnier handed in his resignation Thursday following a no-confidence vote that collapsed his government.
Barnier’s fragile parliamentary coalition was the first in more than six decades to fall apart in France, the second-biggest economic power in the European Union. The vote against Barnier came just three months after Macron appointed him, making him France's shortest-serving prime minister. Barnier will remain in a caretaker position until Macron appoints a new prime minister.
Former French Prime Minister Michel Barnier.Nathan Laine / Bloomberg via Getty ImagesWith the latest development plunging the country into deeper political uncertainty, Macron addressed the nation in a speech Thursday evening.
He thanked Barnier for his dedication and called the no-confidence vote that toppled him “unprecedented,” adding that the “extreme right and extreme left joined in an anti-republican front” and that some political groups had chosen “chaos.”
Macron said he will name a new prime minister “in the coming days,” as he appealed for unity and reiterated that he had no intention of stepping down.
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