French PM Barnier's govt loses confidence vote within 3 months

French Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government has been defeated in a confidence vote in the French National Assembly, intensifying a political crisis and raising concerns about the country's budget for the coming year, Al Jazeera reported on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, the 331 members of the 577-seat lower house of the French parliament voted to remove Barnier's centrist minority government, throwing the country into political instability as it faces a growing budget deficit, as reported by Al Jazeera.

According to Al Jazeera, the vote was triggered by far-left and far-right opposition parties after Barnier used special powers to push through budget measures without parliamentary approval.