France has entered another period of political uncertainty after Prime Minister François Bayrou was ousted in a stinging defeat at the National Assembly. Lawmakers voted 364 to 194 against him in a confidence motion, forcing him to submit his government’s resignation to President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.
The Élysée has said Macron will decide on a successor “in the coming days.” Options include appointing a centre-right figure, choosing a candidate acceptable to the Socialists, or dissolving parliament and calling fresh elections.
While the far-left France Unbowed party has demanded Macron’s resignation, analysts see little chance of the president stepping down.
Bayrou’s fall means France is now heading toward its fifth prime minister in less than two years, highlighting the instability and growing disillusionment that have plagued Macron’s second term.
Bayrou Ousted After Debt Gamble Backfires, France Braces for Next PM Battle
François Bayrou’s downfall came after he staked his government on an emergency confidence vote over France’s soaring €3.4 trillion debt. The prime minister had warned all summer of the “existential” danger of ignoring the fiscal crisis, proposing a 2026 budget that scrapped two national holidays and froze welfare and pensions to save €44 billion.
But lawmakers from left to right saw the motion as a chance to strike down Bayrou and, by extension, President Emmanuel Macron. With no majority in the National Assembly, Bayrou’s fate was sealed by a rare alliance of the left and hard right.
Some commentators called it political suicide. Bayrou did not need to call the confidence vote, and might have survived longer had he tried to build consensus. Instead, he chose history over politics, warning MPs that rising debt meant “plunging young people into slavery.” His pleas fell flat, with deputies accusing him of masking Macron’s responsibility for the crisis.
Public opinion also showed little sympathy. Polls suggest voters are more concerned with the cost of living, security, and immigration than with fiscal tightening. Activist group Bloquons Tout has pledged nationwide protests this week, while trade unions plan mass demonstrations on 18 September.
France’s financial outlook remains bleak: annual debt servicing costs are forecast to jump from €30 billion in 2020 to over €100 billion by 2030, even as Macron pledges more spending on defence. Meanwhile, left and right parties continue to demand a repeal of his controversial pension reform, which raised the retirement age to 64.
Bayrou, who took office last December after Michel Barnier failed to pass a budget, initially survived thanks to Socialist support. But relations collapsed over pension reforms, leaving him politically isolated. His ouster makes him the second Macron-appointed prime minister in less than a year to be forced out.
Attention now turns to Macron’s next move. While some speculate he may reach leftward, Socialists insist they want a complete break with his pro-business agenda and a reversal of pension changes. More likely, Macron will stick to his own camp, with Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Labour Minister Catherine Vautrin, and Finance Minister Éric Lombard all seen as potential contenders.
France is now preparing for its fifth prime minister in under two years, underscoring the instability that has marked Macron’s second term.