Le Pen Turns Screw in French Budget Gridlock

Far-Right Leader Le Pen Has Never Been So Powerful in France
Marine Le Pen’s ultimatum to French Prime Minister Michel Barnier, even after he caved on a key demand from her party, lays bare the unprecedented clout the far-right leader now wields in Paris’ halls of power.
Marine Le Pen turns screws on PM Michel Barnier in French budget showdown
“The clock is ticking,” was one of Michel Barnier’s favourite lines as the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, when he perfected the art of using deadlines to strengthen his hand. Now, as France’s prime minister, he is the one running out of time.
Le Pen Demands French PM Compromises In Budget Stalemate
Far-right French leader Marine Le Pen told a Sunday newspaper that her party would not necessarily vote to topple Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government -- so long as he agreed to negotiate.
Le Pen Makes More Budget Demands as Barnier Gives Ground
Marine Le Pen’s National Rally set out further demands for changes to the French government’s 2025 budget bill after Prime Minister Michel Barnier dropped plans to raise taxes on electricity in a key concession.
Opinion
The threat of a no-confidence vote for the Barnier government is coercion by Marine Le Pen
EDITORIAL. It's not a negotiation but a form of coercion for recognition that the president of the far-right Rassemblement National parliamentary group has undertaken. She's exploiting the impasse in which Michel Barnier finds himself.
Le Pen makes new threat to withdraw support for French government
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen issued a new threat on Monday to bring down France's coalition government in a no-confidence vote, after talks with Prime Minister Michel Barnier failed to satisfy her party's demands for budget concessions.
France’s Le Pen Boosts Budget Asks Ahead of Monday Deadline
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, who holds outsize leverage in France’s split parliament, gave Prime Minister Michel Barnier until Monday to adhere to her budget red lines before she decides whether to topple the government.
'Le Pen relishes kingmaker role, holding Barnier's fate in her hands'
COLUMN. The 2025 budget negotiations have put Marine Le Pen back in the saddle, with her demands and strategies making other political players become subordinate figures, notes Françoise Fressoz in her column.
Barnier Stresses Stability Amid Budget Opposition
French Prime Minister Michel Barnier emphasizes the need for stability in the face of opposition to his proposed 2025 budget from Marine Le Pen's National Rally. He remains committed to refining the budget amidst political pressures.
Marine Le Pen humiliates EU as she holds Brussels golden boy Barnier to ransom
Prime Minister Michel Barnier's brief to be the adult in the room isn't going as well as Emmanuel Macron had hoped.
French government warns Marine Le Pen’s party over budget battle
The French premier on Thursday said he would scrap a plan to increase taxes on electricity, meeting one of the Rassemblement National’s demands. But Marine Le Pen’s party has insisted all its “red line” demands must be met if the government wants to avoid a no-confidence vote as soon as next week.
The New York Times5h
France’s Prime Minister Is on the Block, and Marine Le Pen Holds the Blade
Even Mr. Barnier, a veteran politician who negotiated a tough Brexit deal for the European Union and served four times as a ...
Le Pen aumenta presión a Barnier y le pone plazo hasta el lunes
La líder de extrema derecha Marine Le Pen, que tiene una gran influencia en el dividido Parlamento francés, dio al primer ...