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Opposition parties in France have made it clear that they will vote against PM Francois Bayrou’s government amid his plans to push an unpopular budget.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou and French President Emmanuel Macron. (Reuters)
The French Parliament is expected to eject Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Monday after he called for a surprise no-confidence vote after just nine months in office, plunging the key EU country into a political crisis and dealing a blow to President Emmanuel Macron.
Bayrou blindsided his allies by calling for a confidence vote to end a months-long standoff over a deeply unpopular budget, which foresees almost 44 billion euros ($52 billion) of cost savings to reduce the country’s debt pile.
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Opposition parties in France have made it clear that they will vote against his minority government, making it highly improbable that he will get enough backing to survive. Bayrou needs a majority of the 577 MPs in the National Assembly to retain his post.
Political experts say the chances of Bayrou remaining as PM appear slim. Despite the turmoil, President Emmanuel Macron has ruled out snap elections if Bayrou loses, and he is expected to appoint a new premier, possibly from the centre-left.
Meanwhile, Bayrou began a series of talks this week with opposition parties, including the far-right’s Marine Le Pen, to try to prevent the government’s fall. He will become the second French prime minister in succession to have suffered such a fate after Michel Barnier was ejected in December after only three months in office.
Who Is Francois Bayrou?
Bayrou is a former education minister, who was appointed justice minister in 2017 under Macron’s presidency. He had endorsed Macron in the 2017 presidential election. However, he resigned after a month due to accusations of misusing public funds.
He returned as Macron’s sixth Prime Minister, after Barnier’s government fell last December amid a deepening political turmoil since the 2024 parliamentary elections that left Macron without a governing majority.
Bayrou’s government had sought to cut the budget deficit to 4.6% of gross domestic product next year from 5.4% this year, with a savings drive worth nearly 44 billion euros ($52 billion) that opposition parties have rejected.
In an attempt to shore up support, Bayrou unexpectedly announced a confidence vote in his government scheduled for September 8. “Lawmakers can bring down the government, they have the power to do so. And they plan to do so. Will that be of service to the country?” he said.
A Headache For Macron
After the no-confidence vote, Macron will face one of the most critical decisions of his presidency: to appoint the seventh Prime Minister of his mandate for a compromise or again call for snap elections to have a more accommodating parliament.
Macron is battling with poor approval ratings at home, with 64% of the French public wanting Macron to resign rather than name a new PM, according to a poll by Odoxa-Backbone for Le Figaro newspaper. His presidency ends in 2027.
Some 77 percent of people do not approve of his work, Macron’s worst ever such rating, according to an Ifop poll for the Ouest-France daily. As Macron leads France’s efforts to end the Russian aggression in Ukraine, France is also facing social tension due to protests against the budget.
(with inputs from agencies)
About the Author
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
Paris, France
September 08, 2025, 09:02 IST
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