French government survives vote
PM bullish after defeat of confidence vote means economic reforms will be adopted without Assembly ballot
THE FRENCH Government survived what was in effect a vote of no confidence yesterday, when a “motion de censure” intended to stop controversial economic reforms was defeated by 55 votes.
A total 234 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion - short of the 289 votes needed to secure an absolute majority in the National Assembly.
The outcome of the no-confidence vote came as little surprise after Socialist leaders had said they would eject any MP backed the censure motion. None did, according to reports.
The UMP called for the motion after Prime Minister Manuel Valls invoked rarely used powers, known as Article 43-9, to force through economy minister Emmanuel Macron’s key bill - which includes measures to relax the rules on Sunday trading and plans to open key parts of the French economy to competition - without a vote in the Assembly.
It has been almost a decade since a French government last used its powers in this way. And the Prime Minister’s decision had been denounced as “anti-democratic”.
Mr Valls invoked Article 43-9, amid concerns a rebellion from within Socialist ranks would block the reforms, which he and President Francois Hollande see as vital to boosting the flagging French economy.
The bill is now considered to have passed the National Assembly and will now go before Senators in France’s upper house of Parliament for approval.
They are due to debate the bill in April.
Now it has been used, Article 43-9 cannot be used to push through another law in this Parliamentary session, but it can be invoked again in future readings of the Macron Law.
In a speech to the Assembly, Mr Valls condemned the "conservatism, irresponsibility and childishness" of those who opposed the bill and told MPs that nothing would stop his government from making reforms.
"The French people expect us to act. For us to remove blockages. The main blockage is our too-weak growth. It prevents us from creating jobs, from reducing the mass unemployment that is hurting us so much," he said.
"We will continue, with all the means given to us by the constitution.”
Image: BFMTV screengrab
