French Government Survives No-Confidence Vote

French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, delivers a closure speech after the debate regarding the motion to censor his law at the French Parliament in Paris, France, 19 February 2015. Photo by EPA/BGNES

France’s Socialist government survived a no-confidence vote initiated by the opposition conservatives over planned economic reforms.

The motion was backed by 234 lawmakers, with 289 votes in favor needed for the no-confidence vote to succeed.

The bill put forward by Economy Minister Emmanuel Macron envisages authorisation for French businesses to work 12 Sundays in the year instead of 5 under current legislation, as well as deregulation of notary and legal professions, and simplified labor arbitration proceedings, according to reports of the BBC News.