French lawmakers on Monday withdrew confidence from the government of François Bayrou, who will submit his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron after less than nine months in office, threatening to plunge the country back into a severe political crisis.
364 MPs voted in favor of the no-confidence motion, while only 194 supported Bayrou, who announced that his government bears responsibility for a draft budget for 2026 that includes €44 billion in cuts.
Later, the French presidency announced that Macron "will meet with Prime Minister François Bayrou tomorrow (Tuesday) to accept the resignation of his government. The president will name a new prime minister in the coming days."
This marks the second time Macron has named a prime minister since his surprise decision in 2024 to dissolve the National Assembly after the far-right's victory in the European Parliament elections. This decision plunged the country into a major political and financial crisis, but failed to secure a majority in the new assembly.
Before the vote, Bayrou told the National Assembly, "This is a real test as head of government... and I chose it," stressing that "the country's future is at stake" due to its "excessive debt" (114% of GDP).
He said, "Our country works and thinks it's getting richer, but in reality, it's getting poorer every year. It's a silent, invisible, internal bleeding that is unbearable."
Bayrou warned, "You have the power to overthrow the government, but you don't have the power to erase reality," likening "being burdened by debt... to being subjected to military force" and deprived of freedom.
- Consultations and "Red Lines" -
The far-right National Rally party is pushing for early legislative elections.
Party leader Marine Le Pen said Monday that dissolving parliament and calling early legislative elections is "not an option, but an obligation" for Macron.
The president, whose term ends in 2027, has ruled out dissolving the National Assembly again for the time being.
An opinion poll published Sunday's results indicate that Le Pen's party, along with its allies, will lead the first round of the election if it takes place, with 33% of the vote, far ahead of the left and the presidential camp.
Consultations have already begun, with the Socialist Party positioned in the middle of the game, expressing its "readiness" to assume power, but within the framework of a left-wing government without the "Macronists."
Macron finds himself trapped between a far-right party whose influence has grown over the years and elections, and a radical left (represented by France Insoumise) that has become increasingly hardline and hostile to him. This forces him to seek to expand his centrist bloc and search for a right-wing or centrist figure acceptable to the Socialists.
"Stability is needed," said a source close to the president. "The most stable thing is the common base that engages in dialogue with the Socialists."
But the task appears difficult given the parties' adherence to their positions.
Mathieu Gallard of the Ipsos polling institute told AFP, "The current problem in France is that each (party) has red lines, and these are... The red lines make it absolutely impossible to form a coalition. No coalition has a majority, no coalition that can hold up permanently.
Names being circulated include Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu, Minister of Justice Gérald Darmanin, and Minister of the Economy Éric Lombard.
- Social Movements -
The challenge facing Macron is becoming more serious amid strong feelings of distrust toward him and a decline in his popularity to its lowest levels since he came to power in 2017, with 77% of French people expressing dissatisfaction with his management of the country.
In addition to the budget crisis and political deadlock, France is preparing for a period of social unrest beginning with a first test day on Wednesday.
A "civic" movement that emerged over the summer on social media under the slogan "Let's block everything" and is supported by some unions and the radical left has called for a countrywide shutdown on Wednesday, but the actual extent of the mobilization remains unknown.
Unions have also called for a day of strikes and demonstrations on September 18 to denounce government policies and the draft budget. Bayrou, although his government is likely to have fallen by that date.
Fitch Ratings will announce its credit rating for French debt on Friday, with a possible downgrade under current circumstances.
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