By IRNA,
Paris : The French government has won a confidence vote in parliament prompted by Nicolas Sarkozy’s plan to rejoin NATO.
Some legislators had expressed fear that the president’s plan would compromise France’s independence, but following hours of heated debate, legislators voted 329 to 238 in favour of the government’s foreign policy on Tuesday.
Francois Fillon, the prime minister, proposed the no-confidence motion amid heavy opposition from both the left and right to boosting ties with NATO.
“We want to take our place where the future of NATO is discussed,” Fillon said.
Charles de Gaulle, the former president, pulled France out of NATO’s military command in 1966, with the aim of seeking a less US-oriented policy during the Cold War.
Sarkozy has said it is time to climb back into NATO’s sphere of influence, arguing that the end of the Cold War and cross-border threats have heightened the need for international military cooperation.