French politics lurched into fresh crisis Monday after lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to remove Prime Minister François Bayrou, dealing a blow to President Emmanuel Macron and leaving Paris without a functioning government just as borrowing costs climb and mass protests loom.
French MPs voted 364 to 194 to reject François Bayrou’s government in a confidence motion called over his attempt to force through a contested €44 billion savings package. The margin comfortably exceeded the 280 votes required to topple the cabinet, meaning Bayrou must now resign after just nine months in office — a quick fall that echoes his predecessor Michel Barnier’s ouster last December.
The Élysée Palace said President Emmanuel Macron will appoint a new prime minister in the coming days, but options are thin. Bayrou’s departure leaves Macron scrambling for a candidate who can survive a bitterly divided parliament: both the far right and far left have made clear they will swiftly challenge any centrist appointment with fresh no-confidence motions.
Markets reacted swiftly. Yields on French government bonds climbed above those of Spain, Portugal and Greece — countries that were once central to eurozone debt crises — intensifying concern about France’s fiscal credibility. A sovereign-rating review scheduled for Friday could add further strain if analysts move to downgrade France.
Speaking to MPs before the vote, Bayrou warned that removing his government would not change underlying fiscal realities. He argued expenses and debt are still rising and warned younger generations were being left to carry the burden. “Reality will remain relentless,” he told the assembly, lamenting that the social contract with younger French people has been broken.
The political chaos traces back to Macron’s dramatic decision last year to call a snap general election after a surge in support for the far-right National Rally in the 2024 European Parliament contests. That gamble left France with a splintered legislature and fragile coalitions — the very environment that has made it so difficult to pass tough fiscal measures.
Possible successors to Bayrou reportedly include Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, though the role is widely seen as a poisoned chalice. Any new centrist appointee risks immediate defeat; appointing a prime minister from the right would be blocked by the left, and vice versa, making stable governance elusive.
Gérald Darmanin
Sébastien Lecornu
Calls for dramatic solutions are already mounting. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen urged Macron to dissolve parliament — a move that could hand her party a greater share of power — while the far left has organized nationwide protests for Wednesday under the slogan “Bloquons tout” (“Let’s block everything”). Trade unions have also scheduled a new mobilization for 18 September.
The fiscal impasse looks set to persist. The Socialists are pressing for higher taxes on the wealthy and a reversal of business tax cuts — red lines for center-right partners — meaning a new government will face fierce battles over any budget plan. Polling suggests the National Rally would top a fresh election, with the left second and Macron’s centrists trailing, stoking fears the far right could ultimately fill the void, whether now or at the 2027 presidential contest.
Analysts warn the timing is perilous: France is grappling with rising borrowing costs while geopolitical crises rage in Ukraine and the Middle East. For Macron, the immediate task is to pick a successor who can calm markets and a fractious domestic scene — a tall order in a parliament where few can agree on a way forward.
