France's Gov't Faces No Confidence Vote10/08 06:14

   

   PARIS (AP) -- France's minority government is expected to survive a 
no-confidence vote on Tuesday in a test for new conservative Prime Minister 
Michel Barnier, forced to rely on the far right's good will to be able to stay 
in power.

   It comes as Barnier's fragile government faces a major challenge to get a 
budget for next year approved with no majority at parliament.

   Following June-July parliamentary elections, the National Assembly, France's 
powerful lower house of parliament, is divided into three major blocs: the New 
Popular Front, Macron's centrist allies and the far-right National Rally party. 
None of them won an outright majority.

   The no-confidence motion was brought by 192 lawmakers of a left-wing 
coalition, the New Popular Front, composed of the hard-left France Unbowed, 
Socialists, Greens and Communists. It needs 289 votes to pass.

   The far-right National Rally group, which counts 125 lawmakers, has said it 
would abstain from voting a no-confidence motion for now. Far-right leader 
Marine Le Pen, herself a lawmaker, said she decided to "give a chance" to the 
government.

   Barnier's cabinet is mostly composed of members of his Republicans party and 
centrists from French President Emmanuel Macron's alliance who altogether count 
just over 200 lawmakers.

   Left-wing lawmakers denounced the choice of Barnier as prime minister as 
they were not given a chance to form a minority government, despite securing 
the most seats at the National Assembly. This government "is a denial of the 
result of the most recent legislative elections," the motion read.