French government to face vote of no confidence

France's minority government is due to face a vote of no confidence in the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The motion against the centre-right Cabinet was submitted by the Socialists due to dissatisfaction with Prime Minister François Bayrou's approach to the pension issue.

Observers expect the vote to fail and the government to remain in office, as the far-right nationalists led by Marine Le Pen do not intend to withdraw their support from the government.

The background involves consultations initiated by Bayrou regarding an amendment to the controversial pension reform of 2023. This initially secured Bayrou the tolerance of the Socialists.

However, the consultations failed, and as a result, the Socialists submitted a motion for a vote of no confidence. They accuse Bayrou of breaking his word on the issue and no longer standing by the promise that parliament would have the final say on any potential changes to the pension reform.

The pension reform sparked mass protests in France at the beginning of 2023. The core of President Emmanuel Macron's key reform was the gradual increase in the retirement age from 62 to 64 years. This is to be maintained even with an amendment. However, there are to be concessions for mothers and people in demanding professions.