<p>Paris: French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou survived his latest no-confidence motion in parliament on Tuesday, after far-right National Rally (RN) lawmakers refrained from backing a measure brought by his opponents on the left.</p><p>The measure garnered 189 votes, falling well short of the threshold needed to oust the government.</p><p>Despite surviving his eighth no-confidence motion since taking office last December, Bayrou's premiership appears increasingly shaky. He now finds himself in the same position as his predecessor Michel Barnier, whose three-month stint as prime minister ended after the National Rally called time on his rule.</p>.France shuts schools, Italy limits outdoor work as heatwave grips Europe.<p>Officials from the RN - the single largest party in the National Assembly but short of a majority - said they would not back the no-confidence motion. They prefer to refrain until later in the year, when even more complex talks over passing the 2026 budget threaten to once again topple France's government.</p><p>Bayrou faces an uphill challenge to secure 40 billion euros in spending cuts for the 2026 budget. The Socialists filed the no-confidence motion after months-long talks to tweak the country's disputed pension reform ended without a deal. Bayrou convened the talks to secure the Socialists' support against an earlier no-confidence motion, but their fragile accord is now dead.</p><p>RN party president Jordan Bardella, interviewed on <em>CNews</em> on Monday, gave no indication the RN would back the no-confidence measure. Instead, he called on French President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve parliament and call fresh legislative elections.</p><p>Macron, whose second and final term as president will end in 2027 called a snap parliamentary vote last year after the RN surged in European Parliament elections. He can dissolve Parliament again from July 8.</p><p>"I don't see how anything healthy can emerge between now and 2027," Bardella said.</p>
<p>Paris: French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou survived his latest no-confidence motion in parliament on Tuesday, after far-right National Rally (RN) lawmakers refrained from backing a measure brought by his opponents on the left.</p><p>The measure garnered 189 votes, falling well short of the threshold needed to oust the government.</p><p>Despite surviving his eighth no-confidence motion since taking office last December, Bayrou's premiership appears increasingly shaky. He now finds himself in the same position as his predecessor Michel Barnier, whose three-month stint as prime minister ended after the National Rally called time on his rule.</p>.France shuts schools, Italy limits outdoor work as heatwave grips Europe.<p>Officials from the RN - the single largest party in the National Assembly but short of a majority - said they would not back the no-confidence motion. They prefer to refrain until later in the year, when even more complex talks over passing the 2026 budget threaten to once again topple France's government.</p><p>Bayrou faces an uphill challenge to secure 40 billion euros in spending cuts for the 2026 budget. The Socialists filed the no-confidence motion after months-long talks to tweak the country's disputed pension reform ended without a deal. Bayrou convened the talks to secure the Socialists' support against an earlier no-confidence motion, but their fragile accord is now dead.</p><p>RN party president Jordan Bardella, interviewed on <em>CNews</em> on Monday, gave no indication the RN would back the no-confidence measure. Instead, he called on French President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve parliament and call fresh legislative elections.</p><p>Macron, whose second and final term as president will end in 2027 called a snap parliamentary vote last year after the RN surged in European Parliament elections. He can dissolve Parliament again from July 8.</p><p>"I don't see how anything healthy can emerge between now and 2027," Bardella said.</p>