French Greens to file no-confidence motion against Lecornu government over heat wave deaths

Heated exchange in the National Assembly

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu lost his composure during Tuesday's question time in Paris, calling the Greens' death toll of 10,000 from the recent heat wave 'scandalous' and 'unworthy'. Cyrielle Chatelain, president of the ecologist group, had just accused the government of 'inaction' in the face of record temperatures. Lecornu demanded to know where the figure came from, insisting the inquiry commission demanded by the Greens would 'boomerang' on them. The exchange ended with Chatelain declaring the government was 'incapable of questioning itself' and was pursuing 'an inegalitarian policy that worsens global warming'.

Where do you get this figure that you and your representatives have been reporting on television for more than three days, establishing a human toll that is false? It's scandalous, it's unworthy!

Dispute over death toll

Official death figures are still incomplete. The national health agency Santé publique France recorded about 300 excess deaths during a shorter heat wave in May, a 14% rise. During the June heat wave, it has so far identified roughly 1,000 more deaths than in a comparable period without extreme heat. A comprehensive assessment will take weeks. The Greens' claim of 10,000 deaths, aired on television for several days, was denounced by Lecornu as 'false and scandalous'. The government fears that many elderly and isolated people may have died at home during the peak of the heat.

Motion of no confidence

Minutes after the confrontation, the ecologist group announced a motion of no confidence against Lecornu's minority government. Chatelain said she has 'no doubt' about collecting the 58 signatures required to table the motion. The Greens intend to denounce the government's 'unpreparedness both in the face of the heat wave we have just experienced and, above all, the one that is about to arrive'. However, the motion is unlikely to succeed: the more centrist Socialist group has not supported any of the six previous no-confidence motions leveled against Lecornu since he became prime minister last year, and without them or the far‑right National Rally, the government will survive.

Record temperatures and government response

Mainland France endured eleven days of exceptional heat, with temperatures surpassing 40°C in many regions. For three consecutive days the country recorded its highest average daily temperature on record. The extreme conditions ended on Sunday 28 June. Scientists say heat waves will occur more frequently outside midsummer due to human-caused climate change. Lecornu defended his administration, arguing that 'there is no inaction, but an obvious need to accelerate' adaptation policies.