The French centre-left Socialist party will not back a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's government, Le Figaro reported on Thursday, citing an intra-party meeting. Dozens of far-left lawmakers have put forward a no-confidence motion against Bayrou,

The decision of the Socialists means that Bayrou is safe for now, but remains in a precarious position with budget talks set to open. The far-right National Rally has said it will not vote for Thursday’s no-confidence motion, in order to give the prime minister a chance to govern, but has made no such assurances regarding the future.

The French Socialist Party decided not to back a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Francois Bayrou, allowing his government to survive a crucial parliamentary session. Despite seeking support from various factions due to political instability,

France's centre-left Socialist party will not back a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Thursday, its leader said, which will enable Bayrou's minority government to live to fight another day.

Although Bayrou looks likely to survive the no-confidence motion put forward by 58 far-left France Unbowed (LFI), Green and communist MPs, a loss of Socialist support would be a big blow, especially after he offered on Tuesday to renegotiate a disputed 2023 pension reform law to win their backing.

The French Socialist Party, whose support Francois Bayrou's minority government has been trying to secure for weeks, on Tuesday raised the threat of backing a no-confidence vote against the government later this week.

New French Prime Minister François Bayrou is considering changing the voting system for the National Assembly, he said in his first government statement on Tuesday. The 73-year-old has long been a proponent of introducing proportional representation in France.