Paris — France was thrust into fresh political turmoil on Monday after Prime Minister François Bayrou was ousted in a rare confidence vote, just nine months into his tenure, leaving President Emmanuel Macron scrambling for a replacement as his approval ratings sink to historic lows, reported by AFP.
In an unprecedented twist, Bayrou himself had called the confidence vote in a bid to end weeks of parliamentary gridlock over his austerity budget, which sought €44 billion ($52 billion) in savings to tame France’s swelling debt. The gamble backfired spectacularly: 364 deputies voted against him, compared to just 194 in support. Bayrou is now the first modern French premier to be removed through a failed confidence vote rather than a no-confidence motion. He will formally resign Tuesday.
“You have the power to overthrow the government,” Bayrou told lawmakers before the vote, “but not to erase reality.” He described France’s debt burden as “life-threatening” and insisted that failing to act would condemn the nation to “business as usual.”
Bayrou’s fall makes him Macron’s sixth prime minister since 2017 — and the fifth since 2022 — underscoring the volatility of French politics. The president must now decide whether to appoint yet another premier to navigate a hostile parliament or dissolve the National Assembly and gamble on snap elections. Neither path offers certainty.
Polls suggest Macron’s centrist alliance would fare poorly in new elections. An Odoxa-Backbone survey for Le Figaro found 64 percent of French people want him to resign outright, while an Ifop poll put his disapproval at 77 percent, his worst score to date.
Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN), has seized on the chaos, urging Macron to call early legislative elections and deriding Bayrou’s cabinet as a “phantom government.” Though recently convicted in a fake jobs scandal, Le Pen’s appeal will be heard in early 2026 — potentially restoring her eligibility just in time for the 2027 presidential race.
Adding to Macron’s woes, unions are planning strikes later this month, and a left-wing collective has called for nationwide demonstrations on Wednesday. With domestic unrest rising and international crises on his desk, Macron faces perhaps the most perilous moment of his presidency.
