DAILY NEWS

 French Government Collapse, 

France has been plunged into a new political crisis with the defeat of Prime Minister Francois Bayrou at a confidence vote in the National Assembly.

The defeat – by 364 votes to 194 – means that Bayrou will tomorrow present his government’s resignation to President Macron, who must now decide how to replace him. Macron’s office said this would happen “in the coming days”.

France is thus en route to getting its fifth prime minister in less than two years – a dismal record that underscores the drift and disenchantment that have marked President Macron’s second term.

Bayrou’s fall came after he staked his government on an emergency confidence debate centred on the question of French debt.

He spent the summer in speeches, interviews and social media posts warning of the “existential” threat to France if it did not start to tackle its 3.4 trillion euro liability.

But he was quickly disabused of any hope that his prophesies of financial doom would sway opponents. Lacking any majority in the National Assembly, Bayrou saw the left and hard-right uniting against him – and his fate was sealed.

Some have speculated that Macron would turn now to a leftwing prime minister, having failed with the conservative Barnier and the centrist Bayrou. However, the PS has said it wants a total break from Macron’s pro-business policies.

It therefore seems likely Macron will look initially to another figure from within his own camp, with Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Labour Minister Catherine Vautrin and Finance Minister Eric Lombard all said to be in the running.

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 French Government Collapse, 

Lawmakers voted to oust Prime Minister François Bayrou, seen here in parliament on Monday, leaving France’s fiscal mess unresolved amid climbing borrowing costs. - Benoit Tessier/Reuters

French lawmakers voted to oust Prime Minister François Bayrou Monday, plunging the country into a new political crisis and leaving it without a government at a time of increasing economic strain and geopolitical tensions.

A total of 364 MPs voted against Bayrou and 194 voted for him after he called the vote in a bid to push through an unpopular €44 billion ($51 billion) savings plan that included scrapping two public holidays and freezing government spending. The 364 votes against Bayrou were well above the 280-vote threshold needed to topple the government.

Bayrou will now be forced to step down after just nine months in office, following in the footsteps of his predecessor Michel Barnier, who lost a no-confidence vote last December.

French President Emmanuel Macron will name a new prime minister in the coming days, according to the Élysée Palace. But Bayrou’s departure leaves Macron with few palatable options.

Investors have been rattled. Yields on French government bonds – or the interest rate demanded by investors – have risen above those of Spanish, Portuguese and Greek bonds, which were once at the heart of the eurozone debt crisis. A possible downgrade of France’s sovereign debt rating review Friday would deliver another blow to its economic standing in Europe.

“You have the power to bring down the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality,” Bayrou told lawmakers on Monday ahead of the vote. “Reality will remain relentless: expenses will continue to rise, and the burden of debt, already unbearable, will grow heavier and more costly.”

“We broke the social contract” with younger generations, Bayrou added.

The political instability can be traced back to Macron’s own dramatic decision last year to call a snap election. Piqued by the remarkable results of the far-right National Rally in the European Parliament elections of May 2024, the French president forced a vote in which his party lost seats to the far right and far left, leaving France with a splintered parliament.

What comes next?

Bayrou is expected to submit his resignation to Macron on Tuesday morning, according to the Élysée, which also said Macron will name a new prime minister in the coming days.

Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin are expected to be among the frontrunners for what is likely to be a poisoned chalice.

Even before the vote, the prospect of Bayrou’s downfall sparked calls for the president to step aside, though he has vowed to serve out his term. Far-right doyenne Marine Le Pen has demanded he dissolve parliament, but fresh elections would almost certainly strengthen her party and fracture the French parliament further.

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