Barnier's Balancing Act: Navigating Political Turmoil in France

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has made a major concession to the far-right National Rally party by dropping planned cuts to medication reimbursements. This move aims to secure support for his 2025 budget bill amidst escalating political tensions, a looming parliamentary vote, and potential economic crisis.

In a strategic move to stabilize his government, French Prime Minister Michel Barnier has conceded to the demands of Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN) party. Barnier decided to scrap planned cuts to medication reimbursements, a key issue in his 2025 budget proposal, in hopes of gaining the necessary support from RN to pass the bill.

The decision follows previous concessions, including halting a significant electricity price hike and reducing medical aid to illegal migrants. Despite these efforts, it remains uncertain whether Barnier's measures will secure the fragile coalition necessary for the budget bill's passage, as RN leaders continue to push for further demands, including pension hikes in line with inflation.

The political landscape reflects a volatile environment for Barnier's minority government, which has depended on RN supporters to navigate a deeply divided parliament. As the parliamentary vote on social security funding looms, there are talks of invoking article 49.3 of the constitution to pass the bill without a vote, a move fraught with the risk of triggering a no-confidence motion that could unseat the government.

(With inputs from agencies.)