Michel Barnier officially resigns as French PM with Macron now facing demands to quit

Michael Barnier has officially resigned as the French Prime Minister following a no-confidence vote, with Emmanuel Macron now also facing calls to step down.

He headed to the Elysee Palace this morning to speak with Macron, leaving after an hour of discussions.

Barnier and his government will stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is nominated, the Elysee said in a statement.

Macron is due to address the nation at 7pm GMT today.

Barnier was made PM only three months ago – and has now become the country’s shortest-serving PM since 1958.

Both right and left-wing lawmakers joined forces to back the no-confidence motion against Barnier and his government yesterday, with a majority of 331 votes in support of the motion.

His government used article 49.3 of the French constitution to push through a social security budget bill without a vote. The bill planned to tackle France’s growing public deficit through £50bn in tax increases and spending cuts.

In a final speech before the confidence vote, Barnier said: “I can tell you that it will remain an honour for me to have served France and the French with dignity”.

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“This no-confidence motion … will make everything more serious and more difficult. That’s what I’m sure of.”

Macron is now facing demands to quit, with an online poll carried out just hours after yesterday’s no-confidence vote revealing that the majority of respondents want him to resign.

Out of 1,000 voters, 64 per cent of voters want Macron to also get the chop.

However, Macron is safe in his position, thanks to a mandate that lasts until 2027 which means he cannot be pushed out.

Ahead of the vote, National Rally (RN) leader Marine Le Pen said: “We’ve reached the moment of truth, a parliamentary moment unseen since 1962, which will likely seal the end of a short-lived government.”

Macron has already begun meeting with politicians and allies, with Reuters reporting yesterday that the French PM was keen to install a successor to Barnier as soon as possible.

One of the sources said the President wanted to appoint a new PM before the reopening of Paris’s Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday, which will be attended by US President-elect Donald Trump.

Barnier’s successor will serve alongside Macron for the remaining two years of his term.