The French government has survived two votes of no confidence on the energy law

The French government has survived two no-confidence motions that were filed in 'parliament' on Wednesday. These motions were brought because it had adopted a new Energy Law by decree in February after years of disagreements within the National Assembly. The motion was filed by France's National Rally party (RN), which received 140 votes in parliament. 289 votes were needed to pass the motion. The second motion was filed by France Unbowed, a hard-left party. It received the support of 108 members. After several failed attempts to topple the minority government of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, these failed votes have given it some breathing room. After pushing through a delayed budget, the government was able to survive two more no-confidence votes in early this year. Despite this, France's political situation remains a mess, as President Emmanuel Macron faces low approval ratings nearing the end of his second term. France announced a long delayed energy?strategy this month, which scaled back renewable energy goals. It also eased the pressure on Electricite de France by reversing its mandate to close 14 nuclear reactors.

The law sparked a fierce debate among lawmakers, pitting those who support?renewable subsides against those who advocate for financing new nuclear power at a moment when France is grappling with high debt.

(source: Reuters)