Political crisis in France with the fall of Bayrou

François Bayrou, Prime Minister of France, lost the vote of confidence in the French National Assembly and submitted his resignation, causing a major political crisis in the country.

364 of the 574 deputies of the National Assembly, the main chamber of the French Republic, voted in favour of the loss of confidence in Prime Minister Bayrou, ushering in a new era of political instability and uncertainty.

The 74-year-old veteran French politician lost his post after eight turbulent months following his appointment to lead the current centre-right French government under the guidance of the President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron.

After losing the vote of confidence, François Bayrou resigned, triggering a major political crisis in France.

The centrist politician thus ends an eight-month period as prime minister after a turbulent period following a close election in which Emmanuel Macron defeated far-right candidate Marine Le Pen in the second round.

Following Bayrou's resignation, President Emmanuel Macron promised to appoint a successor ‘in the coming days’. The next prime minister will be the fifth head of government in Macron's second term and the third in less than a year, reflecting the growing political and social instability in France.

François Bayrou referred to the significant economic burden facing France, one of the reasons for the current political and social instability, along with problems such as employment, migration, etc. ‘Total chaos is brewing for France, and forgive me for reminding you of this now,’ Bayrou said in his farewell speech to the Chamber, after eight months in office amid significant political strife between the various parties. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, you have the power to overthrow the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality. Spending will continue to rise, and the already unbearable debt burden will become heavier and more expensive.’

The French executive warned of the heavy economic burden and high social spending borne by the French Republic. A budget was presented that envisages almost €44 billion in social cuts and the abolition of two public holidays. These measures sparked popular anger and a period of political instability that ended with the resignation and departure of François Bayrou.

These unpopular initiatives have damaged the image of French power represented by Emmanuel Macron, who is experiencing his lowest popularity rating since arriving at the Élysée Palace eight years ago. According to certain polls, only 15% of the potential electorate still has confidence in the French president. During the parliamentary debate prior to the vote of confidence on François Bayrou, Emmanuel Macron was attacked by the opposition, which already considered him a president who had been overcome and defeated by political adversity.

Emmanuel Macron may now shift towards a more left-wing political option, attempting to attract the Socialists to form a new executive, leaving behind the more centrist option that François Bayrou has represented until now.

One of the options being considered for France's political future is a government led by the socialist Olivier Faure, which could somewhat balance the main source of current discord, namely the economic and social cuts included in the latest draft budget. Of course, a more left-wing executive could take greater account of social policies that are more favourable to the most disadvantaged sections of society and better protect social rights and economic allocations for these purposes.

However, this political formula is complicated by the deep ideological differences that exist and the harsh political attacks levelled in recent times against the French government represented by Emmanuel Macron, who has faced fierce offensives from both the left and the hard right in France.