FRANCE Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government has collapsed following a failed confidence vote, raising uncertainty over President Emmanuel Macron’s future and the stability of the eurozone’s second-largest economy.
France’s parliament voted out Bayrou on Monday September 8, over a disputed budget plan that sought $52 billion in spending cuts to reduce the fiscal deficit.
“The President of the Republic acknowledges the result of the deputies’ vote on the use of Article 49-1 of the Constitution. He will meet tomorrow with Prime Minister François Bayrou to accept the resignation of his government. The President of the Republic will appoint a new Prime Minister in the coming days,” said Macron’s office.
The 74-year-old political veteran, who had been in office for just nine months, triggered the vote himself in an attempt to pressure lawmakers into supporting his proposal.
Before the no-confidence vote, Bayrou addressed the National Assembly Monday afternoon, warning lawmakers that France’s heavy debt posed serious risks to the economy. He was also expected to take questions from parliamentarians.
Bayrou’s office announced that he would step down on Tuesday, as Macron faces a choice between appointing a new prime minister or calling fresh elections. In the meantime, both the far-right and hard-left are pressing for snap parliamentary polls.
In less than two years, France has had four prime ministers, and a fifth is unlikely to resolve the deep political stalemate, a deadlock last seen in 1958, when the Fifth Republic was founded.
Opposition parties ousted Bayrou over his proposed €44 billion ($52 billion) austerity plan, which is now expected to be scaled back under whoever Macron appoints as his successor.
“There is no upside scenario, there is no way out, there is no credible scenario where you end up with the same amount of fiscal consolidation,” said Frederik Ducrozet, head of macroeconomic research at Pictet Wealth Management.
Finance Minister Eric Lombard admitted that the next government, tasked with presenting the 2026 budget by October 7, will take a less aggressive approach than Bayrou, known for his tough stance on debt.
The ICIR reports that Bayrou’s successor is expected to lean more on tax hikes than spending cuts to narrow the budget deficit, especially with the Socialists, the party that could produce the next prime minister, favouring that approach.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.