Paris: Another prime minister gone. Another crisis is unfolding. In France, what once shocked is now routine.
Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is submitting his resignation on Tuesday after losing a crushing confidence vote in parliament. The third toppling of a head of government in 14 months leaves President Emmanuel Macron scrambling for a successor and a nation caught in a cycle of collapse.
Bayrou, 74, lasted just nine months in office. Even that was three times longer than his predecessor’s.
He gambled on a budget demanding over EUR 40 billion in savings. The plan froze welfare, cut civil-service jobs, and even scrapped two public holidays that many French see as part of their national rhythm.
Bayrou warned that without action, the national debt, which is now 114 per cent of GDP, would bring “domination by creditors” as surely as by foreign powers.
Instead, he united his enemies. The far right of Marine Le Pen and a left-wing alliance voted him down, 364 to 194. Polls showed most French wanted him gone. By the time lawmakers cast their ballots, Bayrou already had invited allies to a farewell drink.
The president has promised to name a new prime minister “in the coming days.” It will be his fourth in under two years.
There are several possible replacements: Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin, former Socialist premier Bernard Cazeneuve and Finance Minister Eric Lombard.
The problem is not the personnel, though; it is the arithmetic.
Since Macron’s snap election in 2024, parliament has been split into three rival blocs: far left, centrists, and far right. None commands a majority. France has no tradition of coalition-building, and every budget becomes a battle.
Macron has ruled out another election for now. Le Pen insists he must call one. Opinion polls suggest her National Rally would cement its lead if it did. With just 18 months left in his presidency and his approval rating at 15 per cent, the risk for Macron is existential.
Anger is rising in the streets
On Monday night, about 11,000 demonstrators feted Bayrou’s ouster outside town halls in“Bye Bye Bayrou” farewell drinks.agencies