French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu Survives No-Confidence Votes
Paris, France – French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has narrowly survived two votes of no confidence brought by members of the National Assembly today, October 16, 2025. The frist vote, concerning the goverment’s recent policy decisions, passed wiht a pleasant margin. Though, a second, far more precarious vote, initiated by the radical-left France Unbowed party (La France Insoumise or LFI), proved substantially tighter, ultimately failing to reach the 289 votes needed for a simple majority to trigger the government’s collapse.
The outcome of these votes represents a critical test for Lecornu’s newly formed government, highlighting the deep political divisions within France and the challenges he faces in securing legislative support. The close call underscores the fragility of his position and signals a period of potential instability as he navigates a complex parliamentary landscape. Failure on the second vote would have necessitated a government reshuffle or even fresh elections.
The motion proposed by LFI garnered support from a broad coalition of opposition parties, including those led by Marine Le Pen‘s National Rally. To succeed, the opposition needed to amass 289 votes, but fell short, with estimates placing their total at approximately 282.
The anti-Lecornu camp comprised 265 MPs from LFI, the Communist party, the Greens, and National Rally, alongside their allies. Crucially, the outcome hinged on securing additional support from smaller parties - including the Socialists, Liot, Independents, and potentially conservative Republicans – to reach the required threshold. While several MPs from these groups ultimately joined the opposition,it proved insufficient to unseat the Prime Minister.
A graphic detailing the breakdown of seats in the French National Assembly is available here.
