Circumstances

The parliament supervises the activities of the Government, and may express no confidence in the Prime Minister or a minister (Article 67.9 of the Constitution). Similarly, other officials appointed or elected by the parliament may be removed from office by a vote of no confidence.

Modalites

During a plenary sitting, at least one-fifth of all parliamentarians may submit an interpellation motion against the Prime Minister or a minister. Upon considering the response of the Prime Minister or minister to the interpellation, the parliament may decide that the response is not satisfactory, and, by a majority vote of half of all the members of the parliament, pass a motion of no confidence (Article 61 of the Constitution). Other officials are removed from office when they receive a motion of no confidence by a majority vote of all members of the parliament.

Consequences

When more than half of the ministers have been replaced, the Government must once again be granted its powers by the parliament or else it must resign. Between 1990 and 2005, there was one case of a motion of no confidence against the Prime Minister, and there were two against the Government, and six cases of interpellation involving no confidence measures against ministers. All motions emanated from opposition parliamentarians, and in one case of no confidence, the Prime Minister and Government in corpore had to resign after a motion of censure was adopted against him (1992).