French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou passed the first test of his new minority government on Thursday as he survived a vote of no-confidence called by the hard left after the centre-left Socialist Party did not back the motion.

The precariousness of Bayrou’s position is underscored by comparisons to his predecessor Michel Barnier, who was ousted after just three months in office. Barnier’s downfall came when the far-right National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen, withdrew its support over disagreements on his 2025 budget proposal.

The long-term survival prospects of French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's minority government have shrunk as he fights to keep the Socialist Party from backing a no-confidence vote on Thursday.

The decision of the Socialists means that Bayrou is safe for now, but remains in a precarious position with budget talks set to open. The far-right National Rally did not vote for Thursday’s no-confidence motion to give the prime minister a chance to govern, but has made no such assurances regarding the future.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou survived his first major test in the National Assembly on Thursday after Socialist lawmakers and the far-right National Rally chose not to support a

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Thursday survived his first vote of no confidence in parliament after the motion, brought by the leftist opposition, failed to gain traction with the far right.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Thursday survived his first vote of no confidence in parliament after the motion, brought by the leftist opposition, failed to gain traction on the far right

A total of 131 lawmakers voted in favour of the motion - well short of the 288 votes needed for it to pass. Read more at straitstimes.com.