What happens now the French government has fallen?

France rests on the brink of political chaos as the government of Michel Barnier was ousted last night.

Read more: French Prime Minister Michel Barnier to resign today after no-confidence vote passes

Mr Barnier brought his resignation to French president Emmanuel Macron this morning. The president will give a televised speech tonight at 20:00 on the situation. 

It remains unclear who will succeed Mr Barnier, who is only the second prime minister to lose a vote of no confidence under the Fifth Republic - the other is Georges Pompidou in 1962.

What happens now?

The successful vote of no confidence in 1962 led then-president Charles de Gaulle to dismiss the Assemblée nationale and call new elections to resolve the conflict. 

This resulted in Mr Pompidou returning as prime minister after his party gained ground in the election.

However, Mr Macron only called legislative elections in June this year, and must wait 12 months before doing so again, meaning the political make-up of the divided chamber cannot be changed for another seven months.

It means any new prime minister appointed – the appointment is in the hands of the president – must be able to bring the Assemblée naitonale together in its current make-up, with the left, centre and right, and far-right occupying roughly a third of the chamber each. 

Mr Macron’s options include reappointing Mr Barnier (who would be all but doomed to face another vote of no confidence immediately after), appoint a technocratic government headed by civil servants, or attempt to form a new governing coalition. 

Read more: What will happen to President Macron if Michel Barnier resigns?

The head of Mr Macron’s centrist party Ensemble pour la république and former prime minister Gabriel Attal confirmed he would launch talks with other parties if Mr Barnier is toppled to form an emergency ‘republican’ government 

This would not represent an official coalition but a temporary pact to see the parties govern together on the common ground between them until new elections for the chamber could be held, and to ensure a budget for next year is passed.

This would include all parties in the chamber except the far-left La France Insoumise and far-right RN which are seen as ’anti-republican’ and too extreme in their views to be included.

However, it is unclear whether the Communist, Socialist, and Green parties, who make up the NFP alongside the far-left group, would be willing to walk away from the current coalition. 

Previous attempts to draw them away this summer to form such a ‘republican’ government failed, and it is likely they would insist on a left-wing prime minister after their desired appointment of Miss Castets was spurned earlier this year, potentially alienating MPs on the right. 

MPs and Senators from the left called on centrist MPs this morning to join a left-based coalition, including La France Insoumise, to draft a new budget. They confirmed they would want Miss Castets appointed to the PM role. 

There are calls from across the political spectrum for president Macron to resign - triggering a presidential election - however he is adamant that he will not do so.

In terms of daily life, unless a new budget is drafted and passed, MPs will be able to vote on emergency legislation that sees the 2024 budget (passed at the end of 2023) re-implemented in 2025. 

Read more: Millions in France at risk of paying more tax due to budget chaos