French lawmakers set to vote on ousting PM Barnier

French lawmakers are set to hold a no-confidence vote on Wednesday that could spell the end of the short-lived and tumultuous administration of Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

Barnier's tenure was arguably doomed from the outset, with his September appointment by French President Emmanuel Macron met with mass protests.

Far-right National Rally teaming up with the left

Should the Barnier government be ousted, it will be first time France has witnessed such an event in more than 60 years, worsening a political crisis that has engulfed the nation in recent months.

Barnier survived a no-confidence motion in October, but Wednesday's vote has seen most analysts predict the fall of the government as the far-right teams up with the left.

The far-right National Rally (RN) of three-time presidential candidate Marine Le Pen is expected to vote in favor of the no-confidence motion put forward by the left. With this being the case, it should have the numbers to pass.

Asked if the RN would back the no-confidence vote, lawmaker Laure Lavalette told TF1 TV: "Without a doubt."

Asked on French television if there was a chance his government could survive Wednesday's vote, Barnier replied: "I want this and it is possible...I think it is possible that there is this reflex of responsibility where, beyond political differences, divergences, the normal contradictions in a democracy, we tell ourselves that there is a higher interest."

Macron may keep Barnier in a caretaker role

The probable collapse of the government will leave a hole at the heart of the European Union at a time when Germany is also in a state of flux, and just weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House after fractured relations with the EU during his first term in office.

President Macron could well ask Barnier to stay on in a caretaker role as he seeks a new prime minister, which could happen only next year.

jsi/rc (AFP, Reuters)