Two no-confidence motions aimed at toppling the government rejected in French National Assembly
Two separate no-confidence motions against the government were put to a vote in the French National Assembly today. The motion by the National Rally (RN) group received 140 votes, while the motion by the La France Insoumise (LFI) group received 108 votes. As the 289-vote threshold required to topple the government was not met, both initiatives were rejected.
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In France, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's government has survived two separate no-confidence motions brought to the Assembly floor in response to the implementation of a roadmap regarding energy planning via decree. During the votes held throughout the day, the opposition blocs failed to find common ground, meaning the majority required to topple the government could not be achieved. In the first vote, the motion submitted by National Rally (RN) deputies remained at 140 votes. In France, for a no-confidence motion to be accepted, an absolute majority of 289 "in favor" votes is required in the 577-seat National Assembly. As this threshold was not reached, the motion was rejected.
In the second vote of the day, a no-confidence motion submitted by the La France Insoumise (LFI) group was put to a vote. The motion received 108 "in favor" votes and, failing to reach the 289 threshold, did not pass the Assembly.
The main factor determining the outcome of the votes in the Assembly corridors was the failure of both motions to transform into a broad-based "joint no-confidence motion." Votes were fragmented because the right-wing and left-wing opposition remained distant from each other's motions. Furthermore, it was noted that in the second vote, 29 out of 38 deputies from the environmentalist group, 6 deputies from the left-wing GDR group—which includes communist and overseas deputies—and 2 deputies from the socialist group voted 'in favor'; however, the total number of votes was still insufficient to topple the government.
The background to the motions lies in the government's decision to implement the framework for its energy policy via decree rather than through a comprehensive final vote in the Assembly. While the opposition front played the no-confidence card with the criticism that "Parliament has been sidelined," the government side emphasized continuity and speed in its energy strategy.
The no-confidence process: What has been happening in the French Assembly recently?
In France, a no-confidence motion stands out as the harshest parliamentary mechanism aimed at toppling the government. Procedurally, at least 58 deputies must sign a motion for it to be placed on the agenda; the vote is then held at least 48 hours after its submission. If accepted, only "in favor" votes are counted, and it is required to exceed the 289-vote threshold in the National Assembly for the government to fall.
This mechanism has frequently come to the agenda in recent years. In 2023, two separate no-confidence motions were voted on against the government during debates on pension reform, but one was rejected after falling just short of the threshold by a very narrow margin; despite this, tensions on the political stage did not subside for a long time.
On December 4, 2024, however, a no-confidence motion yielded results: following the motion accepted in the National Assembly, the Barnier government was forced to resign, and the country began a search for a new government.
Throughout 2025, no-confidence initiatives were repeated on various topics; however, most of these attempts failed to cross the threshold because the opposition blocs did not possess a joint majority.