France’s National Assembly has rejected a no-confidence motion against the government submitted by a coalition of leftists, socialists, greens and radical leftists by 197 votes, well short of the 289 needed to topple Michel Barnier’s government, AFP reported.

A month after President Emmanuel Macron’s surprise appointment of Barnier, a 73-year-old veteran right-winger, to form the government in early September, the latter denounced a no-confidence motion that the far-right refused to support and, as expected, was defeated by a large majority.