French PM survives no-confidence vote

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin today survived a no-confidence vote sparked by accusations of a dirty-tricks campaign that have engulfed his government.

A total of 190 members in the National Assembly, France’s lower house, voted in favour, short of the 289 needed to pass.

The motion was brought by the opposition Socialists and backed by a small grouping of centrists traditionally aligned with the government.

There was virtually no chance that the motion – which can bring down a government – would pass.

Villepin’s ruling majority holds 364 of the Assembly’s 577 seats. Since France’s Fifth Republic was formed nearly a half-century ago, only one no-confidence vote has passed – in 1962.

Still, the motion forced Villepin to defend himself amid allegations that he was involved in the dirty tricks campaign, which has overshadowed his government for weeks and stymied his agenda.