Paris: The newly formed French government, led by Premier Francois Bayrou, successfully navigated its first no-confidence vote on Thursday. The motion was brought forward by the left-wing France Unbowed (La France Insoumise or LFI) against Bayrou and his Cabinet, but it failed to gather the necessary support to pass.

According to Anadolu Agency, only 131 lawmakers in the National Assembly, the lower chamber of the French parliament, voted in favor of the no-confidence motion. This was significantly below the 289 votes required for the motion's adoption, as reported by broadcaster BFMTV. The decision by the Socialist Party to vote against the motion led to a heated debate within the left alliance New Popular Front (NFP), drawing criticism from other alliance members, namely LFI, the Communists, and the Ecologists.

Bayrou, who assumed the role of prime minister on December 13, has faced opposition from parties including LFI, which pledged to challenge his government with no-confidence votes from the outset. His appointment followed the ousting of his predecessor, Michel Barnier, on December 4, after Barnier bypassed parliamentary procedures to pass a contentious social security budget bill, triggering a no-confidence vote that led to his government's downfall.

The political landscape in France has been tumultuous since June, following the failure of President Emmanuel Macron's centrist bloc in the European Parliament elections and the rise of the far-right National Rally (RN). In response, Macron called for snap parliamentary elections in late June and early July, but no party achieved the absolute majority needed in the National Assembly. The NFP emerged as the leading alliance but struggled to agree on a prime ministerial candidate, eventually nominating Lucie Castets, whom Macron rejected.

Macron's decision to delay appointing a new premier until after the Paris Olympics faced criticism, especially after accepting the resignation of then-Prime Minister Gabriel Attal. Barnier was eventually appointed as prime minister on September 5, but his government was short-lived, marking the first collapse due to a no-confidence vote since 1962.