FRANCE’S minority government was expected to survive yesterday’s no-confidence vote in the National Assembly as the far right appeared to throw its weight behind right-wing prime minister Michel Barnier.

The no-confidence motion was brought by 192 lawmakers of the New Popular Front, composed of the communists, France Unbowed, socialists and Greens.

But the new government, mostly composed of members of Mr Barnier’s Republicans party, who came last in the Assembly election, and members of President Emmanuel Macron’s alliance who altogether count just over 200 lawmakers, appears to have the numbers to survive.

The motion needs 289 votes to pass.

The far-right National Rally group, which counts 125 lawmakers, has said that it would abstain from a no-confidence motion for now. 

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said she decided to “give a chance” to the government.

Left-wing lawmakers denounced the choice of Mr Barnier as prime minister as they were not given a chance to form a minority government, despite securing the largest bloc of seats in the Assembly.

Following June-July parliamentary elections, the Assembly is divided into three major blocs: the New Popular Front, President Macron’s alliance and the far-right National Rally (RN) party. None of them won an outright majority.

The motion says that this government “is a denial of the result of the most recent legislative elections.”

The intention of the far-right to prop up the government appointed by Mr Macron was evident when earlier attempts to table a vote of impeachment against the president were pushed to one side after Ms Le Pen abstained.

The abstention at a body, called the Conference of Presidents, meant the motion failed to secure enough support to reach the Assembly for debate and a vote.

France Unbowed president Mathilde Panot said: “Marine Le Pen saved Mr Macron from the impeachment procedure!

“The RN demonstrates once again how much it is the life insurance of Macronist power.”