The immediate catalyst for the no-confidence motion was Barnier's decision to invoke a constitutional mechanism to pass the 2025 budget without parliamentary approval. This maneuver, intended to expedite the budgetary process amid deep political divisions, was perceived by opposition parties as undemocratic, prompting a unified response.

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier is bracing for a no-confidence vote this week, a political reckoning poised to topple his fragile government and send shockwaves across the eurozone