PARIS – French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s administration weathered a parliamentary challenge Wednesday, defeating the first of two attempts to remove the government from power over controversial energy legislation.
The no-confidence measure, brought forward by the far-right National Rally party, secured support from 140 lawmakers but fell significantly short of the 289 votes required to succeed in ousting the government.
The political showdown stems from the administration’s decision to bypass the National Assembly and implement new energy regulations through executive decree, denying elected representatives their traditional final approval authority.
Parliamentary leaders are preparing for a second no-confidence vote, this one initiated by the hard-left France Unbowed party, which is anticipated to take place in the coming hours.
Lecornu’s administration operates without a clear parliamentary majority and has already weathered two previous attempts to remove it from office earlier this year, both triggered by the government’s decision to force through a delayed national budget without legislative approval.
