Key facts
- French Green party lawmakers filed a no-confidence motion against the government.
- The motion is in response to the government's handling of a severe heatwave.
- The heatwave has caused at least 1,000 excess deaths in France.
- The motion is unlikely to succeed due to lack of support from other parties.
French Green party lawmakers have filed a motion of no-confidence against the government, citing its response to a severe heatwave in late June that resulted in at least 1,000 excess deaths. The motion, supported by 32 Green, 25 France Unbowed, and one Socialist lawmaker, is scheduled for discussion in the National Assembly on July 6.
However, the bid to oust Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's minority government is widely expected to fail, as the National Rally has stated it will not support the motion, and the Socialists have not backed previous no-confidence attempts against Lecornu. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon criticized the motion, stating it fuels the crisis rather than addressing it.
Despite a slight drop in temperatures, much of France is still experiencing around 30 degrees Celsius, with forecasts predicting a return of extreme heat next week. Some Green lawmakers have suggested that as many as 10,000 people may have died during the heatwave, a figure Lecornu has angrily contested as "scandalous" and "undignified."