On Monday, September 8, France’s parliament voted to oust Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government after just nine months in office, plunging the country into a fresh political crisis and leaving President Emmanuel Macron scrambling to find a successor.
Bayrou surprised even his closest allies by calling a confidence vote to resolve a prolonged deadlock over his austerity budget, which aims to save nearly 44 billion euros ($52 billion) to reduce France’s growing debt.
Bayrou became the first prime minister in modern French history to be removed through a confidence vote rather than a no-confidence motion. According to a source close to him who wished to remain anonymous, he will formally submit his resignation on Tuesday morning, September 9.
In the National Assembly vote, 364 deputies expressed no confidence in the government, while only 194 supported it.
Speaker Yael Braun-Pivet stated, “In accordance with Article 50 of the Constitution, the prime minister must submit the resignation of his government.”
Bayrou is Macron’s sixth prime minister since the president’s 2017 election and the fifth since 2022.
Defending his bold move, Bayrou told the National Assembly, “The greatest risk was not taking one — to allow things to continue unchanged and business as usual.”
Calling the national debt “life-threatening” for France, Bayrou said his government proposed a plan to help the country “escape the relentless tide of debt that is overwhelming it” within a few years.
Addressing MPs in a last-ditch effort to save his government, Bayrou said, “You have the power to topple the government, but you cannot erase reality.”
President Macron now faces a critical decision: appoint a seventh prime minister to negotiate a compromise or call snap elections to try to secure a more cooperative parliament.
However, there is no guarantee that elections would improve the standing of Macron’s center-right coalition.
While the Socialist Party (PS) has expressed willingness to lead a new government, it remains uncertain whether such an administration could maintain stability.
