More than a third of France is on red alert due to an intense heatwave

The French government, led by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, has faced growing political pressure after Green Party deputies introduced a no-confidence vote on Thursday. The reason was the inadequate management of a severe heatwave that hit the country at the end of June. France is preparing for a possible third heat episode next week, maintaining concerns about health and humanitarian consequences.

No-Confidence Vote Initiative

A Green Party representative in the National Assembly told Reuters that debates on the no-confidence vote are scheduled for July 6. This initiative is supported by 32 Green Party deputies, 25 deputies from the left-wing party France Unbowed (LFI), and one deputy from the Socialist Party. However, the chances of this vote passing appear low due to insufficient parliamentary support to overthrow the current minority government.

Reasons for the Initiative's Weakness

The National Rally (RN) announced that it will not support the no-confidence vote. Furthermore, the Socialist Party has not supported any attempts to oust Sébastien Lecornu's government since he took office last year, which significantly reduces the likelihood of this initiative succeeding in parliament. In contrast, the government defended its work during the crisis. Government spokesperson Maud Brejon stated on Wednesday: 'There is a government managing the crisis, and there are political forces exacerbating the crisis by submitting this vote.'

Ongoing Heat and Mortality Statistics

The French meteorological service (Météo-France) reported that temperatures across most of the country continue to hover around 30°C, despite moving away from record highs of recent days, and forecasts indicate another temperature rise early next week. In the same context, the National Agency for Public Health announced on Sunday that at least 1000 cases of excess mortality have been registered in France since the heatwave that swept Europe on June 20, emphasizing that the actual number could be higher.

Criticism of Authorities Regarding Victim Numbers

Cyril Chatelean, leader of the Green Party in the National Assembly, placed partial responsibility for deaths related to the heatwave on the government during a parliamentary question session on Tuesday. Some deputies from her party suggested that the death toll could have reached 10,000—an estimate that Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu sharply rejected, calling such statements a 'scandal' and an 'insult.' These events occur as the French government faces a new political test alongside the ongoing effects of the heat, while parliament awaits the no-confidence vote debates, anticipating it may fail to gain the majority needed to overthrow the government.

French authorities have published a preliminary estimate of victims related to the abnormal heat in the country, noting an increase in deaths by more than a thousand compared to the usual level since the middle of the week.

The French National Public Health Agency reported that around 1000 additional deaths have been recorded since June 24, exceeding the figures from previous months.

This phenomenon mainly affects people over 65 years old, accounting for 85% of cases, and has also revealed a 40% increase in deaths at home. Although France returned to more comfortable temperatures today after 11 days of a historic heatwave, the delayed consequences of the heat continue to place a heavy burden on hospitals. The agency notes that on June 24, more than 1200 deaths from all causes were registered, and on June 25 and 26, there were more than 1400 daily deaths.