French President Emmanuel Macron blames extremist events for throwing Government ‘into chaos’ as he reveals the nation may have a brand new prime minister in ‘the approaching days’ – and vows he’ll STAY in workplace

A furious Emmanuel Macron tonight blamed extremist parties for bringing down his government and ‘causing chaos’ across France. 

The President was resolute that he will not resign and vowed to carry out  ‘the mandate that you democratically entrusted to me’. 

Macron was speaking for the first time since a coalition of the far-Right National Rally and Left Wing New Popular Front ended the three-month administration of prime minister, Michel Barnier.

Barnier’s government lasted just 90 days and is now the shortest administration in modern French history.  

The former Brexit negotiator resigned on Thursday, hours before Macron appeared on national TV, but will remains as prime minister for now as the leader of a caretaker government. 

Speaking from the Elysee Palace, Macron refused to resign himself, and said ‘the far-Right and the far-Left have united in an anti-republican front’.

‘I know that some are tempted to hold me responsible for this situation. It’s much more comfortable for them,’ he added.

He said Marine Le Pen‘s National Rally (NR) had, in particular, voted ‘for a motion of censure that offered the opposite of their programme’.

Macron said the NR was focused on one thing – ‘creating chaos’ – and said they had ‘chosen disorder’.

This was because Ms Le Pen was only thinking of winning the 2027 presidential election, said Macron.

‘They only think of one thing – the presidential election, to prepare for it, to provoke it, to rush it,’ he said.

Macron remains resolute that he will not resign and plans to continue his second term until it expires in 2027.

He said: ‘The mandate that you democratically entrusted to me is a five-year mandate and I will exercise it fully until its end.’

The president also said he would ‘appoint a new prime minister within the next few days.’

This will be the third PM Macron has appointed just this year.  

Paying tribute to Banier – his fifth prime minister in seven years – Macron added: I would like to take the opportunity to thank Banier for his steely determination, and everything he did. He was up for the challenge, and others were not.’

Barnier will now act as caretaker prime minister until a successor is announced.

Sources close to the president said he wanted to get a new PM in place by the weekend, for the grand re-opening of Notre Dame Cathedral, which was severely damaged by fire in 2019.

‘Some 50 world leaders are expected in Paris, and a prime minister needs to be here to greet them,’ said one aide.

Those arriving include American president-elect Donald Trump, who will be on his first foreign visit since his election victory last month.

Left and Right wing Parties in the Paris National Assembly united on Wednesday evening to defeat Barnier in a no-confidence vote.

The vote was called after Barnier was unable to pass his budget for next year which proposed 60billion euros in tax hikes and spending cuts in a bid to tackled France‘s financial woes.

These cuts and taxes rises were aimed at tackling the country’s deficit which stands at over six per cent of the entire economy and is twice as much as the limit imposed by the European Union.

Unable to raise a majority in the hung parliament created by a snap election over the summer, Barnier said he would push the budget through via a presidential decree.

Such a move has become common under President Macron, who is accused of ignoring democracy and acting like a dictator.

The result was carried by 331 votes needed in the 577 seat parliament – well over the 288 needed.

It plunges France into a period of political paralysis, with many predicting economic disaster too.

French bonds and stocks are already being sold off at an alarming rate, and borrowing costs are spiralling.

With both Marine Le Pen’s National Rally and the Leftist New Popular Front backing Barnier’s exit, he had no chance of survival.

Speaking after last night’s result Le Pen told France’s TF1: ‘I’m not dizzy, I don’t consider it a victory. I consider that we had a choice to make and the choice we made was to protect the French.’ 

Voting took place soon after Macron returned from a trip to Saudi Arabia, when he ruled out resigning himself, saying ‘I was elected twice by the French people,’ and ‘my priority is stability’.

Barnier is not an elected MP and his downfall after only three month breaks a record previously held by Socialist prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve, who served for five months, up until May 2017.

Barnier made a last gasp plea for support in the run-up to the vote, saying his departure would mean ‘everything will be more difficult and more serous’.

Some have even predicted France falling into deep recession, as Greece did during its sovereign debt crisis just over a decade ago.

Barnier’s has ultimately fallen after failing to win parliamentary support for a social security budget aimed at saving the equivalent of £50billion.

Unable to raise a majority in the hung parliament created by a snap election over the summer, Barnier said he would push the budget through via a presidential decree.

Such a move has become common under Macron, who is accused of ignoring democracy and acting like a dictator.

It came as unions in France called for strikes and street demonstrations across France following the collapse of the government.

A spokesman for the CGT, France’s Confederation of Labour union, said strikes would affect multiple sectors, including schools, hospitals, airports, and town halls.