PARIS — The reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral was meant to be a triumph for French President Emmanuel Macron. However, the celebrations are overshadowed by mounting calls for his resignation after Prime Minister Michel Barnier submitted his resignation on Thursday following a no-confidence vote that led to the collapse of his government.
Barnier’s fragile parliamentary coalition, which fell apart after the vote, marks the first such breakdown in over six decades in France, the second-largest economy in the European Union. The no-confidence vote came just three months after Macron appointed Barnier, making him the shortest-serving prime minister in French history. Barnier will continue in a caretaker role until Macron names a new prime minister.
Amid the latest development plunging the country into greater political uncertainty, Macron addressed the nation in a speech on Thursday evening.
Macron expressed his gratitude to Barnier for his commitment and described the no-confidence vote that ousted him as “unprecedented.” He also remarked that the “extreme right and extreme left united in an anti-republican front” and accused some political groups of choosing “chaos.”
Macron stated he would appoint a new prime minister “in the coming days” and appealed for unity while reaffirming that he had no plans to resign.
This turn of events came just days before the grand reopening of the 860-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral, which had been severely damaged in a fire on April 15, 2019. The highly anticipated reopening was seen as a major victory for Macron, who had faced initial doubts about his promise to restore and reopen the cathedral to the public by 2024.
Heads of state and dignitaries from around the world, including President-elect Donald Trump, are expected in Paris for the reopening, followed by a week of celebrations and ceremonies starting with a “reopening service” on Saturday. This will mark Trump’s first overseas visit since his election victory last month.
Macron recently took a televised tour of Notre Dame, expressing hope that its reopening would provide a “shock of hope” to the world, according to French media.
Barnier’s government collapsed after lawmakers from both the far-left and far-right in the National Assembly united and voted overwhelmingly against him. A total of 331 lawmakers supported the no-confidence motion, well beyond the 299 votes required for it to pass.
The vote followed rising frustration over Barnier’s push to pass a controversial 2025 budget using a rarely invoked constitutional mechanism to bypass parliamentary approval. He defended this move, announced on Monday, as necessary to ensure stability and address France’s struggling economy amid deep political divisions.
The National Assembly is composed of three major blocs: Macron’s centrist allies, the left-wing New Popular Front coalition, and Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally.
While Barnier’s resignation doesn’t directly affect Macron’s position, his political future is now uncertain as pressure mounts for him to step down. With the challenging task of finding a prime minister who can gain approval from a deeply divided parliament, the political chaos is seen as a result of Macron’s own decisions—especially after his surprise snap elections in June that led to a fragmented and dysfunctional government.
“For now, Macron’s position is not at risk,” said Douglas Webber, an emeritus professor of political science at INSEAD, in an interview with NBC News. “But the longer he fails to form a government, the greater the pressure on him to resolve the political deadlock, potentially by resigning and calling for new presidential elections — in which he would not be able to stand again.”