In a decisive parliamentary vote, France’s government was ousted on Monday, plunging the nation into renewed political uncertainty. The National Assembly voted 364-194 against French Prime Minister François Bayrou, signalling a sharp rebuke to his attempts to implement drastic public spending cuts.
A source close to Bayrou, speaking on condition of anonymity, told news agency AFP that the prime minister would submit his resignation to French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday morning.
This marks yet another challenge for Macron, who must now search for a fourth prime minister in just 12 months amid a fragmented legislature.
Bayrou’s High-Stakes Gamble
Bayrou, 74, sought parliamentary backing for austerity measures, warning that France’s soaring debt threatened the country’s future and international influence.
According to news agency AP, speaking before the vote, he said, “You have the power to overthrow the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality. Reality will remain inexorable. Spending will continue to increase and the debt burden — already unbearable — will grow heavier and more costly.”
At the end of the first quarter of 2025, France’s public debt stood at 3.346 trillion euros, representing 114% of gross domestic product, with debt servicing consuming roughly 7% of state spending.
Bayrou acknowledged the risks of calling a confidence vote but stressed that legislative support was necessary to confront what he described as “a silent, underground, invisible, and unbearable hemorrhage” of excessive public borrowing. He added: “The greatest risk was to not take one, to let things go on without changing anything, to go on doing politics as usual. Submission to debt is like submission through military force. Dominated by weapons, or dominated by our creditors, because of a debt that is submerging us — in both cases, we lose our freedom.”
Macron Faces Political Deadlock
This collapse comes after a series of minority governments under Macron, following his controversial decision to dissolve the National Assembly in June 2024. The move, intended to strengthen his centrist alliance, resulted instead in a fragmented legislature with no dominant bloc, leaving subsequent governments vulnerable to opposition coalitions.
According to AP, far-right leader Marine Le Pen has called for another dissolution of the Assembly, asserting, “A big country like France cannot live with a paper government, especially in a tormented and dangerous world.”
Macron, who retains substantial powers over foreign policy and defence, faces a complex challenge in forming a stable government capable of addressing pressing domestic issues, including a proposed €44 billion ($51 billion) spending cut in 2026 and a budget deficit that hit 5.8% of GDP last year, above the EU’s 3% target.
As France navigates this political turmoil, Bayrou’s resignation underscores the growing difficulty for Macron to maintain a workable parliamentary majority and pursue economic reforms.
