French PM survives 3rd no-confidence vote over social security financing bill

PARIS - French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou survived a third no-confidence vote in the French National Assembly on Wednesday over the 2025 social security financing bill.

According to results announced by National Assembly Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet, 121 out of 577 deputies voted in favor of ousting Bayrou after he activated the special constitutional power of passing a bill without the National Assembly's green light. A no-confidence vote needs at least 289 votes in the National Assembly.

Now considered adopted by the National Assembly, the bill will be examined by the French Senate, the upper house of the French Parliament.

According to Le Figaro, the bill includes a 2.6-percent increase in health spending, bringing the total to 264.2 billion euros (274 billion US dollars).

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