French government to resign as parliament supports no-confidence vote against prime minister

The French government has collapsed after Prime Minister Michel Barnier was ousted in a no-confidence vote. MPs voted overwhelmingly in support of the motion against him, the BBC writes.

MPs were required to either vote yes or abstain from Wednesday’s vote, with 288 votes needed for the motion to pass. A total of 331 voted in support of the motion.

It marks the first time the country’s government has collapsed in a no-confidence vote since 1962. Thus, Barnier became France’s shortest-serving prime minister, serving just 90 days.

However, Barnier is likely to stay on as caretaker prime minister while Macron chooses a successor. Under the French Constitution, new elections cannot be called within one year of the previous one.