PARIS (AP) — France risks losing its third prime minister in just 12 months as François Bayrou prepares for a key confidence vote in Parliament on Monday. With expectations of a potential loss, the 74-year-old centrist prime minister is advocating for public spending cuts to address the country's escalating state deficit.
Bayrou, who was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron less than nine months ago, hopes to rally the divided National Assembly around his proposed budget measures. In what many view as a gamble, he has called the extraordinary session to unite lawmakers behind necessary austerity measures. If he fails to secure a majority in the vote, he will have no option but to resign, igniting another political crisis for the EU's second-largest economy.
The National Assembly, comprising 577 lawmakers, is interrupting its summer recess to address the unusually scheduled session, with Bayrou expected to argue for fiscal responsibility in his speech before the voting begins later in the day. A majority vote against his government would force Bayrou to submit his resignation to President Macron, thrusting France into further political uncertainty.
The recent political landscape has become precarious for Macron following the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024, which led to an uncoordinated legislature and left his centrist alliance without a clear majority. As a result, the president has cycled through three prime ministers, including Bayrou, who currently faces fierce opposition from both far-right and left-wing parties in the National Assembly.
Bayrou has expressed frustration regarding the unlikely coalition of opposing parties united against him. He lamented the political landscape where rivals, despite their stark differences, ally to bring down his government.
Should Bayrou lose the vote, Macron will once more need to find a successor capable of navigating the same complex parliamentary challenges that have long plagued his administration. With public discontent over declining budget management and rising debt, any prime minister operating under these conditions could similarly struggle to maintain stability.
As for Bayrou’s proposals, they include a drastic €44 billion ($51 billion) cut in public spending for the upcoming year, alongside the controversial suggestion to eliminate two public holidays to improve the national budget. With significant opposition against such cuts and deteriorating public finances—where the deficit stands at 5.8% of GDP—the prime minister faces an uphill battle to secure support in Parliament.
Bayrou, who was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron less than nine months ago, hopes to rally the divided National Assembly around his proposed budget measures. In what many view as a gamble, he has called the extraordinary session to unite lawmakers behind necessary austerity measures. If he fails to secure a majority in the vote, he will have no option but to resign, igniting another political crisis for the EU's second-largest economy.
The National Assembly, comprising 577 lawmakers, is interrupting its summer recess to address the unusually scheduled session, with Bayrou expected to argue for fiscal responsibility in his speech before the voting begins later in the day. A majority vote against his government would force Bayrou to submit his resignation to President Macron, thrusting France into further political uncertainty.
The recent political landscape has become precarious for Macron following the dissolution of the National Assembly in June 2024, which led to an uncoordinated legislature and left his centrist alliance without a clear majority. As a result, the president has cycled through three prime ministers, including Bayrou, who currently faces fierce opposition from both far-right and left-wing parties in the National Assembly.
Bayrou has expressed frustration regarding the unlikely coalition of opposing parties united against him. He lamented the political landscape where rivals, despite their stark differences, ally to bring down his government.
Should Bayrou lose the vote, Macron will once more need to find a successor capable of navigating the same complex parliamentary challenges that have long plagued his administration. With public discontent over declining budget management and rising debt, any prime minister operating under these conditions could similarly struggle to maintain stability.
As for Bayrou’s proposals, they include a drastic €44 billion ($51 billion) cut in public spending for the upcoming year, alongside the controversial suggestion to eliminate two public holidays to improve the national budget. With significant opposition against such cuts and deteriorating public finances—where the deficit stands at 5.8% of GDP—the prime minister faces an uphill battle to secure support in Parliament.
