Paris, Oct 16 Newly-appointed French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Thursday survived two no-confidence votes in the National Assembly. La France Insoumise (LFI), the National Rally (RN) and its ally, the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR) had filed two motions of censure against Lecornu's team.
The motion of censure, filed by LFI, was backed by 271 members of parliament, falling 18 votes short of the absolute majority needed to bring down the government, leading French daily 'Le Monde' reported. The motion was backed by the Insoumis group, the ecologists, the communists, the RN and the UDR in their vast majority (with the exception of three ecologists and two communists).
The central bloc groups (Renaissance, MoDem, Horizons), Les Republicains (LR), the Socialist Party (PS) and the Liberties, Independents, Overseas and Territories (LIOT) group voted against the motion. However, seven Socialist deputies and one LR representative voted in favour of the motion.
Meanwhile, the motion filed by RN and the UDR received only 144 votes. The motion was supported by the RN and UDR groups, and by three of the 50 LR deputies while all other lawmakers voted against it.
Lecornu was reappointed for the second time as France's PM on October 10, few days after he resigned from his position, Euro News reported. After his re-appointment, Lecornu named his government on Sunday, which includes 34 ministers.
His new cabinet includes several members who served in previous governments, from Macron’s centrist camp and allied conservatives, and a few people from outside the political sphere. The new appointments include France's former Labour Minister Catherine Vautrin, who now serves as Defence Minister.
Paris police chief Laurent Nunez, who managed security during the 2024 Olympics, has been named France's Interior Minister. Roland Lescure has been given the portfolio of finance, a key role as France seeks to draft a budget addressing rising debt and poverty. Ministers who retain their positions include France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot.
Lecornu resigned on October 6, just weeks after his appointment. His resignation came just hours after he revealed names of his cabinet members. After unveiling his cabinet, Lecornu faced criticism from his own camp and the opposition. The conservative Republicans party has expressed outrage over the return of France's former Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire as Defence Minister.
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