French Government in Turmoil: Prime Minister François Bayrou Ousted in Dramatic Confidence Vote

Breaking Political Crisis in France

French Prime Minister François Bayrou has been decisively ousted in a 364-194 vote against him, paying the price for what appears to be a significant political miscalculation. The 74-year-old centrist, who was appointed by President Macron last December, gambled that lawmakers would support his view that France must slash public spending to repair its debts.

The Economic Challenge

At the heart of the showdown were France’s fragile public finances. The country’s deficit reached 5.8% of GDP last year, nearly double the EU ceiling of 3%, while national debt now stands at more than €3.3 trillion, approximately 114% of economic output. Bayrou had argued that drastic cuts were unavoidable, proposing a plan to slash €44 billion in spending by 2026, partly by scrapping two public holidays.

Political Implications

The loss of the confidence vote means President Emmanuel Macron must now appoint a replacement who will be France’s fifth prime minister in less than two years. Macron is expected to choose another centrist ally to lead a minority government.

The collapse fuels uncertainty and raises the risk of prolonged gridlock at a time when France faces daunting fiscal challenges and global instability, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and shifting U.S. foreign policy under President Donald Trump.

Root Causes and Future Prospects

The roots of the crisis trace back to June 2024, when Macron dissolved the National Assembly and called elections, hoping to strengthen his centrist alliance. Instead, the gamble backfired, producing a fragmented legislature with no dominant bloc for the first time in France’s modern republic.

Many French political experts believe the current crisis will persist until 2027 when the country elects a new leader. This ongoing instability will do little to resolve France’s short-term economic woes, as both Bayrou and his predecessor Barnier were ousted while attempting to resolve what they and many others see as a national debt crisis.