French government survives vote of no confidence

The French government has survived a vote of no confidence, but has been weakened by the necessity of using an obscure constitutional instrument to pass legislation without parliamentary approval.

The crisis began on Tuesday, when prime minister Manuel Valls realised he was not certain of having enough votes in the National Assembly to pass the Loi Macron named after economy minister Emmanuel Macron. The timid but plethoric reform package was the subject of more than 200 hours of debate over three weeks.

The outcome shows that President François Hollande’s administration no longer commands a reliable majority. And it dashes hopes that the conservative UMP would co-operate with the government in the interest of the country.

Impossible

If it was this difficult to pass measures that would have a negligible effect on the stagnant French economy, commentators said, the more substantial economic reforms demanded by Berlin and Brussels could prove impossible. The EU Commission is scheduled to decide next week whether

France

should be fined for failing to meet deficit targets.

Only 234 deputies from the UMP and the centrist UDI, plus two far right-wing National Front deputies and several from the far left Front de Gauche, voted for the no confidence Bill, far short of the 289 required to bring down the government.

Perhaps the most extraordinary aspect of the vote was the support of the communist party for a motion written by the UMP. The communists opposed the Macron Law because they see it as too liberal; the UMP because it is not liberal enough.

Under article 49.3 of the French constitution, the Macron Law now takes effect, without having been voted. It is a grab-bag of feeble measures, most of which were taken decades ago by France’s European partners. It will extend Sunday trading from five to 12 Sundays a year, deregulate inter-city coach transport and speed up labour arbitration procedures.

Supplementary pay

The Greens, far left and rebel socialists refused to support the Bill after they were unable to obtain further guarantees of supplementary pay for Sunday workers. The Greens and rebel socialists did not, however, join in the vote of no confidence.

The anti-austerity mood in France has strengthened since Syriza's victory in Greece, and the rise of Podemos in Spain. At the same time, lower oil prices, low interest rates on French sovereign debt and the depreciating euro have convinced Mr Hollande that he may be able to avoid politically dangerous reforms.

The vote followed a stormy session during which Mr Valls termed his use of article 49.3 “an act of authority in the face of the irresponsibility and immaturity of some people”. The prime minister called on deputies to “maintain the spirit of January 11th,” the day close to four million French people marched in protest at Islamist attacks that killed 17 people.