French assembly ousts prime minister Michel Barnier
Members of the French National Assembly have passed a vote of no confidence against the government led by Michel Barnier by an overwhelming majority.
The cabinet is now required to resign, according to the BBC.
331 deputies voted in favor of the motion, surpassing the minimum requirement of 289 votes. Michel Barnier thus became the first head of government to be removed from power since Georges Pompidou in 1962 and the prime minister with the shortest tenure, serving for only 90 days.
Michel Barnier and his cabinet are expected to remain in power while French President Emmanuel Macron searches for a new prime minister — a process that took 50 days following the early elections in July.
Under the French Constitution, new elections cannot be held within a year of the previous ones.
In recent days, multiple voices have called for President Macron to step down, but on Tuesday, the French leader reiterated that he has no intention of doing so and will serve the country "until the last second of his term," which expires in 2027.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
