The French government is facing a motion of censure from the Green Party, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction over its management of the recent heatwave, which has resulted in more than 1,000 excess deaths, according to reports from Le Monde and Politico.
On Tuesday, the Green Party announced its intention to file the motion due to what it deemed inadequate preparations for last week’s extreme heat.
This attempt to topple Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s minority government is unlikely to succeed without support from other opposition parties, including the National Assembly or the Socialist Party, as noted by Politico.
The Socialists have not backed any of the six previous motions of censure against Lecornu since he took office last year.
Nonetheless, Lecornu and his administration have faced intense criticism regarding their level of preparedness for the severe heat. Authorities reported an excess of at least 1,000 deaths, with testimonies from hospitals and schools indicating that many facilities were ill-equipped for such high temperatures.
Public Perception of Government Preparedness
France recorded its highest daily average temperature in history for three consecutive days, with multiple cities experiencing temperatures exceeding 40 degrees Celsius. The country lacks adequate air conditioning and cooling systems.
A survey conducted by polling institute Elabe during the heatwave revealed that two-thirds of respondents believe Lecornu’s government mishandled the crisis, while 53% think France is “not at all prepared” for such heat.
Criticism in Parliament
During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, Cyrielle Chatelain, leader of the Green Party in the lower house, stated that Lecornu’s government bears some responsibility for these deaths, accusing it of implementing policies that exacerbate inequality.
“The government’s lack of adaptation measures is killing as much as the heat does,” Chatelain remarked. “These deaths are on your conscience,” she added during a heated discussion.
Lecornu responded angrily, asserting that the Greens were sabotaging themselves by trying to create purely political controversy. Later on Tuesday, Lecornu’s office accused Chatelain of exploiting the deceased for political gain.
Expected Increase in Death Toll
On Sunday, France’s national health agency released preliminary data estimating approximately 1,000 additional deaths during the heatwave compared to the previous month. Health Minister Stéphanie Rist indicated that it may take more time to ascertain an accurate death toll, as processing death certificates can take several days, and some patients may have died in the days following the heatwave.
Heatwaves typically result in between 1,000 and 7,000 deaths annually, and Nicolas Revel, director of Paris’s public hospital system, expressed that he expects the number of casualties from the June heatwave to be lower than the 15,000 deaths recorded in 2003 but likely higher than the 5,700 deaths reported last year, according to Le Monde.
On Tuesday morning, Caroline Semaille, director of France’s public health authority, noted that there were at least 300 more deaths than anticipated during the unusually early heatwave in May.
Semaille also explained that these deaths were due to a combination of factors and were not necessarily linked to high temperatures.
Possibility of Another Heatwave
Temperatures in France are expected to drop on Wednesday and Thursday, but will rise again on Friday in the southern half of the country. The duration, intensity, and extent of this new heatwave episode remain uncertain. It would mark the third heatwave of the year, the first having occurred unusually early in May.
“It is likely that we will experience a heatwave in the south this weekend,” stated Patrick Galois, a meteorologist with Météo-France, the national meteorological service, as cited by Le Monde.
This weekend, temperatures in the southern half of the country are expected to reach or exceed 35 °C, with highs of 36 °C to 37 °C around Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Agen.
The orange heat alert, which is set to be lifted on Thursday for all French departments, may be reactivated as these high temperatures are expected to intensify throughout the following week.
