Star Metro - Macron seeks remedy to France's political crisis

Lawmakers voted on Wednesday to oust Barnier's government after just three months in office, approving a no-confidence motion proposed by the hard left but which crucially was backed by the far right headed by Marine Le Pen.

Barnier's record-quick ejection comes after snap parliamentary elections this summer, which resulted in a hung parliament with no party having an overall majority and the far right holding the key to the government's survival.

Macron now has the unenviable task of picking a viable successor with over two years of his presidential term left, with some -- though not all -- opponents calling on him to resign.

Barnier is due to present Macron his government's resignation on Thursday morning.

The president will then address the nation at 1900 GMT, the Elysee said.

The no-confidence motion, brought by the hard left in the National Assembly, came amid a standoff over next year's austerity budget, after the prime minister on Monday forced through a social security financing bill without a vote.

With the support of the far right, a majority of 331 MPs in the 577-member chamber voted to oust the government.

It was the first successful no-confidence vote since a defeat for Georges Pompidou's government in 1962, when Charles de Gaulle was president.

- 'Calling on Macron to go' -

Macron flew back into Paris just ahead of the vote after wrapping up a three-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, an apparent world away from the domestic crisis.

He strolled earlier Wednesday through the desert sands of the Al-Ula oasis, marvelling at ancient landmarks. After landing in Paris, he headed directly to the Elysee Palace.

"We are now calling on Macron to go," Mathilde Panot, head of the parliamentary faction of the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) party, told reporters, urging "early presidential elections" to solve the deepening political crisis.

But taking care not to crow over the government's fall, Le Pen said in a television interview that her party -- once a new premier is appointed -- "would let them work" and help create a "budget that is acceptable for everyone".

Laurent Wauquiez, the head of right-wing deputies in parliament, said the far right and hard left bore the responsibility for a no-confidence vote that will "plunge the country into instability".

Candidates for the post of premier are few, but loyalist Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and Macron's centrist ally Francois Bayrou are possible contenders.

On the left, Macron could turn to former Socialist premier and interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve, a contender in September.

Barnier was the fifth prime minister to serve under Macron since he came to power in 2017, with every premier serving a successively shorter period.

Given the turbulence, the new nominee now risks serving an even shorter term than Barnier, whose tenure was the shortest of any administration since the Fifth Republic began in 1958.

Macron is minded to appoint the new premier rapidly, several sources told AFP.

A source close to Macron said the president, who has taken time with appointments in the past, has "no choice" but to name the new premier within 24 hours.

- 'His failure' -

Macron has rejected calls to resign.

With markets nervous and France bracing for public-sector strikes against the threat of cutbacks, action that will shut schools and hit air and rail traffic, there is a growing sense of crisis.

The unions have called for civil servants, including teachers and air-traffic controllers, to strike on Thursday over separate cost-cutting measures.

Meanwhile, Macron is due to host a major international event Saturday, with the reopening of the Notre-Dame cathedral after the 2019 fire, with guests including Donald Trump on his first foreign trip since he was elected to be the next US president.

"His failure," was left-wing daily Liberation's front-page headline, with a picture of Macron, whose term runs until 2027.

In an editorial, Le Monde said Le Pen's move risked upsetting her own supporters, such as retirees and business leaders, by toppling the government.

"In the space of a few minutes, she shattered the strategy of normalisation she had consistently pursued," the daily said.

P.Beaulieu--SMC