News Digest: French Government Faces No-Confidence Vote, Notre Dame Reopens & Christmas Delivery Dates

After an election in which no party gained a majority and a summer of uncertainty with a caretaker government, the appointment of centre-right Prime Minister Michel Barnier was hoped by many to put an end to France’s political instability. But just a few months into his term, a motion of no-confidence has been lodged against Barnier and the predicted results don’t look good.

The motion of no-confidence, which has been simultaneously put forward by both the left-wing Nouveau Front Populaire (NFP) coalition and Marine Le Pen’s far-right Rassemblement National (RN) party, comes after Barnier used the controversial Article 49.3 (which allows a bill to be pushed through parliament without a vote) to push through part of his 2025 Budget after it failed a vote yesterday in the Assemblée Nationale.

The vote of no-confidence will take place tomorrow (Wednesday, 4th Dec), and while Barnier is sure to be working hard in negotiations behind the scenes, it’s fair to say that the prognosis doesn’t look good. If Barnier loses, he will be forced to resign, and the government will be dissolved, leaving President Macron to reappoint a Prime Minister in time to have a new budget written, debated and passed into law by its constitutionally-imposed deadline of December 31st – likely an impossible task.

As always, we’ll keep you updated as we learn more.

Five years after it was devastated by a fire, Notre Dame Cathedral is once again making headlines around the globe – this time for positive reasons! After a long and expensive renovation project, estimated to have cost some €850 million, the iconic cathedral will finally reopen its doors this weekend.

President Emmanuel Macron will take part in a grand reopening ceremony at Notre Dame this Saturday, 7th December, to officially hand back the cathedral to the Catholic Church of France. It will be a rare moment of unity between the French government and the church, but as dictated by France’s strict laïcité (secularism) rules, the President will not take an official role in any religious ceremonies. The private event on Saturday is set to be attended by many heads of state from around the world, including President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump.

The following day, Sunday, 8th December, which is also the Festival of the Immaculate Conception, will see the famous cathedral hold its first mass at 10.30am. The free tickets for both events and the first week of visits have already sold out, but the events will be broadcast live on French TV (on the France2 channel).

You can, however, still secure tickets to our exclusive online talk “Welcome Back Notre Dame!” on Thursday, December 5th  12:00 – 13:00 (ET) to celebrate the reopening of Notre Dame de Paris. Hosted by our sister publication, Bonjour Paris, it’s a rare opportunity to learn more about the cathedral’s restoration and its cultural significance from seasoned art history and cultural heritage professional Asia Laird. The one-off event is free for Bonjour Paris Members, but non-members can also purchase tickets online now.

Sign up for the event here

If you’re sending parcels from France by international post, you should send them this week if you want them to arrive in time for Christmas. Due to the increase in volume, postage times typically take longer over the festive season, so check with your local post office or chosen delivery service, as they all vary over delivery deadlines. Generally, La Poste/Colissimo advises sending parcels before Dec 9th to Australia and New Zealand, December 13 for the US, Canada, and South Africa, or by December 17 for parcels to the UK and Ireland.

If you are receiving parcels from the UK, US or another non-EU country, make sure to check the delivery times from the country of origin, too. In France, delivery services with La Poste/Chronopost will continue until late on Christmas Eve (Tuesday, 24th December), although this may depend on your location. Best to err on the side of caution and send your gifts as soon as possible.

If you’ve made an error or noticed any mistakes on your 2024 tax return, tomorrow (Wednesday, 3rd December) is the final deadline to make a correction. This can be done online via your personal space at impots.gouv.fr – read our article below for more on how to do it:

French Tax FAQ: What If I’ve Made a Mistake & Need to Amend My Tax Return?