French Government Wins Crucial Vote Of Confidence

France's prime minister has won his second vote of confidence in five months amid sinking popularity, with President Francois Hollande's standing at a record low and the country seeking to conquer both political and economic crises.



Embattled premier Manuel Valls won the vote on Tuesday with 268 lawmakers voting for, and 244 against the confidence motion in the National Assembly.



There were 53 abstentions, 32 of them Socialists.



A total of 566 lawmakers out of 577 participated in the vote.



"Governing is to resist, governing is to hold on, governing is to reform, governing is to tell the truth in order to seek confidence," said Valls in a speech.



Valls has been under tremendous pressure since his first cabinet fell apart last month amid criticism from key ruling Socialist ministers.



'Discipline' call



Earlier, Valls called for discipline and party unity, saying it was not the time to question the administration and the authority of Socialist President Francois Hollande - whose popularity is at a record low - as the country's leader.



He vowed that Hollande and he would see out their mission "to the end".



"We will go to the end of our mission because we don't flee," said Valls.



Valls also defended his Responsibility Pact, which aims to cut €50 billion ($65 billion) of public spending by 2017, and hand more than €40 billion to businesses in tax cuts.



He said that reforming the economy did not mean scrapping the French social system.



Valls claimed the "the main weakness" of France's economy was French companies' "lack of competitiveness".



He reiterated that France and the Eurozone were facing an "exceptional situation" with weak growth and very low inflation.



"We don't do austerity," he again claimed, arguing he was not in favor of a lesser role for the state in the French economy but "a better state".



'Real ambition'



Valls also urged European nations to be more "flexible" and ease fiscal tightening, saying that the euro needs to weaken further to revive growth.



He called on neighboring Germany - whose leader, Angela Merkel, he will meet in Berlin next week - to do more to stimulate growth in the Eurozone.



"An agreement between our two countries is vital to re-launch growth and give back real ambition to the European project," he said, adding: "Germany must fully assume its responsibilities."



 He also ruled out changes to France's 35-hour work week and cuts to the minimum wage and promised new benefits to poor pensioners on less than €1,200 a month.



In his first policy statement on April 8, Valls obtained an overwhelming majority in a confidence vote of 306 votes for, 239 against and 26 abstentions, while six members did not participate.



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