Key facts
- France's Green party will file a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's government.
- The motion is in response to the government's handling of a recent severe heatwave.
- Preliminary data indicates at least 1,000 excess deaths occurred during the heatwave.
- The Green party criticizes the government's lack of preparedness for extreme temperatures.
- The motion is unlikely to pass without support from other opposition parties.
France's Green party announced plans to file a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's minority government, citing its handling of a recent record-breaking heatwave. The bid is unlikely to succeed without support from other opposition parties, including the far-right National Rally or the Socialists.
During the heatwave, mainland France recorded its highest average daily temperature for three consecutive days, with temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius in major cities. Preliminary data from the French national health agency estimates approximately 1,000 additional deaths compared to the previous month, though the true figure is likely higher. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist stated that final figures would take time to process.
During a parliamentary session, Greens' leader Cyrielle Chatelain accused Lecornu's government of bearing responsibility for the deaths and pursuing policies that exacerbate inequality. Lecornu responded angrily, calling the Greens' move a political controversy, and his office later accused Chatelain of using the deceased to score political points. Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon described the motion as a "political manoeuvre."
Though temperatures have started to drop, they are still around 30 degrees Celsius and are expected to rise again at the weekend. Prime Minister Lecornu said the country's health emergency response plan remains at its highest level.