French government faces no-confidence vote over heatwave response as temperatures rise
PARIS, July 1 (Reuters) – French Green party lawmakers on Tuesday announced their intention to file a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's minority government, citing its handling of a severe heatwave that has swept across France since late June. The motion comes as the country faces a possible third bout of extreme temperatures next week, with temperatures already hovering near record highs.
Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon acknowledged the motion would be filed, calling it “a political manoeuvre” rather than a crisis response. “There is a government managing the crisis and there are political forces fueling the crisis by introducing the motion,” she told reporters after a Cabinet meeting.
The motion is unlikely to succeed without backing from other opposition parties, including the far-right National Rally or the Socialists. The Socialists have not supported any of the no-confidence votes filed against Lecornu since he took office last year, highlighting the fragility of his minority government but also its ability to weather such challenges.
Cyrielle Chatelain, who leads the Greens in the National Assembly, said the motion would protest the government's “lack of preparedness not only for the heatwave we have just experienced, but especially for the one that is coming.” She criticised the government for failing to implement adequate health warnings and emergency measures.
Temperatures have begun to drop from extreme levels but remain around 30°C (86°F) across much of the country, according to national weather forecaster Meteo-France, and are expected to rise again over the weekend. Prime Minister Lecornu said on Monday he would keep the ORSAN health emergency response plan at its highest level for the coming days in anticipation of a “possible recurrence of a heatwave episode.”
France's public health agency reported at least 1,000 excess deaths during the blistering heatwave that has affected much of Europe since June 20, warning the true toll may be higher. During question time in the National Assembly, Chatelain suggested the government bore responsibility for those deaths. Lecornu angrily rejected a figure of 10,000 deaths cited by some Green MPs as “scandalous” and “undignified.”
The political standoff underscores the vulnerability of Lecornu's minority administration, which depends on the tacit support of centrist and conservative factions to survive. While the no-confidence motion is expected to fail, it reflects growing public concern over the government's ability to manage climate-related emergencies, particularly as heatwaves become more frequent and intense due to global warming.
(Reporting by Dominique Vidalon; Editing by William Maclean)