Newsroom
French Prime Minister François Bayrou resigned Tuesday after losing a crushing confidence vote in parliament, the third head of government toppled in 14 months. Bayrou, 74, lasted nine months in office, longer than his predecessor, but his proposed budget, demanding more than €40 billion in savings through welfare freezes, civil-service cuts, and the elimination of two public holidays, united opposition across the political spectrum.
The vote, 364 to 194, saw both far-right and left-wing lawmakers reject his plan, reflecting widespread public discontent. Bayrou warned that unchecked debt, now 114% of GDP, risked domination by creditors, but voters and politicians viewed his austerity measures as unfairly targeting workers and retirees.
President Emmanuel Macron must now appoint a fourth prime minister under his term. Potential candidates include Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, Finance Minister Eric Lombard, and former Socialist Premier Bernard Cazeneuve. But the fractured parliament, split into far left, centrists, and far right blocs, makes passing any budget nearly impossible, echoing political deadlocks of the Fourth Republic.
Public anger is rising. About 11,000 demonstrators celebrated Bayrou’s resignation Monday, and Wednesday has been declared a nationwide “Block Everything” day of protests, with fuel depots, highways, and city centers targeted and 80,000 police deployed.
France’s economic and political instability carries wider consequences. As the eurozone’s second-largest economy, its paralysis threatens EU fiscal credibility and Europe’s strategic position, while domestic trust in state institutions erodes. Analysts warn the repeated collapse of governments could threaten the survival of the French political system.
With information from The Associated Press.
