Michel Barnier’s government has fallen

France was plunged into another political crisis on Wednesday evening when the government of Michel Barnier lost a vote of no confidence. 332 MPs voted for the motion and 288 against, an inevitable result once Marine Le Pen’s National Rally let it be known that they would support the left-wing New Front Popular in their censure.

It is only the second time in the 66-year history of the Fifth Republic that a government has lost of vote of no confidence; that previous occasion was in 1962 when Georges Pompidou’s premiership was terminated in similar fashion.

Throughout a tense afternoon the leaders of the political parties had addressed parliament outlining their reasons for voting for or against. The last to address the 577 MPs was Barnier, shortly after 7pm. ‘It’s difficult here, eh?’ he said, a flicker of a smile on his weary face as he stood before the Assembly.