France has entered a fresh political crisis after Prime Minister François Bayrou was defeated in a confidence vote in the National Assembly, losing by 364 votes to 194. His resignation, expected to be formally presented to President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, will force the president to decide on a successor “in the coming days.”
Bayrou’s downfall makes him the fourth French prime minister to leave office in under two years, underscoring instability at the heart of Macron’s second term. The president now faces difficult options: appointing a new centrist or centre-right prime minister, attempting a leftward pivot to secure Socialist support, or dissolving parliament and calling snap elections. Meanwhile, far-left France Unbowed leaders are demanding Macron’s own resignation, though few analysts see that as realistic.
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The crisis erupted after Bayrou staked his government on an emergency confidence debate centered on France’s spiraling debt, which now stands at €3.4 trillion. His 2026 budget proposed scrapping two national holidays and freezing welfare and pensions to save €44 billion. He warned lawmakers that ignoring the debt posed an “existential” risk, declaring, “Submission to debt is the same as submission to arms.”
But the Assembly, lacking any sympathy for his austerity message, instead seized the opportunity to topple him. Both the left and far-right united against Bayrou, while voters remained unconvinced that debt reduction was a priority compared to issues like living costs, security, and immigration. Critics dismissed his alarm as an attempt to shift blame from himself and Macron.
Outside parliament, protests loom. A movement called Bloquons Tout (“Let’s Block Everything”) has promised sit-ins and boycotts starting Wednesday, with unions planning nationwide demonstrations on September 18.
Macron must now manage a political transition while balancing rising debt costs — forecast to jump from €30 billion in 2020 to over €100 billion by 2030 — with demands for higher spending on defence and social policies. Possible successors include Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Labour Minister Catherine Vautrin, and Finance Minister Éric Lombard. However, with the Socialists insisting on a complete policy break, Macron’s next choice could determine whether France stabilizes or plunges deeper into turmoil.