Villepin beats censure bid in French scandal
published: Wednesday | May 17, 2006

VILLEPIN

PARIS (REUTERS):

French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin easily survived a parliamentary censure motion yesterday that exposed splits in his political camp over a dirty tricks scandal that has sapped his authority.

The left-wing opposition mustered 190 votes - far below the 289 it needed - despite the defection of centrist leader Francois Bayrou and 10 allies, whose Union for French Democracy party normally votes with Villepin's conservatives.

But Villepin's Union for a Popular Majority (UMP) party provided only lukewarm support, with dozens of deputies skipping his speech or leaving before the vote. Only deputies backing the motion participate in a censure vote in the National Assembly.