The National Assembly rejected on January 14 the two censure motions filed by La France Insoumise and the Rassemblement National against the government, in reaction to the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement. The LFI motion garnered only 256 votes out of 288 required, while the RN's got 142. Despite French opposition, the European Union is set to sign the deal on Saturday.
On January 14, 2026, the National Assembly examined two censure motions filed by La France Insoumise (LFI) and the Rassemblement National (RN) against Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's government, protesting the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement. The motions aimed to denounce France's 'capitulation' to the European Commission, despite President Emmanuel Macron's vote against it last Friday.
The LFI motion, filed the previous week, received only 256 votes, far short of the 288 needed to topple the government. The RN's, debated next, garnered just 142 votes. Neither the Socialist Party (PS) nor Les Républicains (LR) joined the opposition, with PS leader Olivier Faure calling it 'absurd' to censure a government opposed to the deal. LR president Bruno Retailleau explained on Europe 1 that the fight now lies with the European Parliament.
During debates, LFI leader Mathilde Panot accused the government of 'betraying popular sovereignty by capitulating to Brussels' and called for the Assembly's dissolution. RN vice-president Hélène Laporte criticized a 'power that stubbornly refuses to hear the voice of the French,' placing the country in a 'situation of impotence.' Lecornu reaffirmed France's 'total opposition' to the treaty, blasting the oppositions as 'backstabbers shooting the executive in the back' amid 'international disruptions.'
After rejection, Jean-Luc Mélenchon blamed the PS for 'saving' the government, while RN president Jordan Bardella mocked the PS-LR alliance with the majority. These motions occur against ongoing farmer anger, with protests in Toulouse that day. Though a minority in Europe, France's stance failed to halt the planned Saturday signing, fueling claims of 'facade opposition'.
