French PM survives 2 no-confidence votes in a day

PARIS, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou survived a second no-confidence vote on Wednesday night, launched by the hard left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI).

Only 122 French deputies voted in favor of the motion, falling well short of the 289 votes needed to oust Bayrou, Yael Braun-Pivet, speaker of the French National Assembly, announced.

Earlier in the day, Bayrou had already survived a separate no-confidence vote. According to results announced by Braun-Pivet, only 128 deputies backed the motion.

LFI initiated two no-confidence motions against Bayrou after he invoked Article 49.3 of the French Constitution on Monday to push through France's 2025 state budget bill and the first part of the Social Security financing bill without a parliamentary vote.

Without support from the far-right National Rally (RN) and its left-wing ally, the Socialist Party (PS), LFI failed to secure enough votes to unseat Bayrou in both attempts.

French President Emmanuel Macron appointed Bayrou as prime minister on Dec. 13 after Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote.