By Obinna Uballa
France was thrown into fresh political uncertainty on Monday after lawmakers overwhelmingly voted to topple Prime Minister Francois Bayrou’s government in a dramatic confidence vote.
The move now forces President Emmanuel Macron to hunt for a fourth premier in less than a year.
Bayrou, 74, lost the high-stakes vote by 364-194, a crushing defeat that underscored deep parliamentary opposition to his austerity driven agenda, AP reported.
The veteran centrist, who took office in December, had gambled that lawmakers would back his call for drastic public spending cuts to rein in France’s ballooning debt. Instead, rival parties from the left and far right joined forces to oust him.
Reports say the outcome means Bayrou’s minority government must now submit its resignation to Macron, marking the third collapse of a French administration in 12 months and prolonging the political gridlock that has plagued Europe’s second-largest economy.
Earlier in the day, Bayrou made a last-ditch plea to the National Assembly, warning that France risked losing its sovereignty under the weight of a “silent, invisible, and unbearable hemorrhage” of debt.
He likened the country’s dependency on borrowing to “submission through military force,” insisting that austerity was unavoidable.
“You have the power to overthrow the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality,” Bayrou told lawmakers. “Spending will continue to increase and the debt burden, already unbearable, will grow heavier and more costly.”
At the end of the first quarter of 2025, France’s public debt stood at €3.35 trillion, or 114% of GDP, with debt servicing alone consuming about 7% of state spending. Bayrou had proposed slashing €44 billion in 2026 after last year’s deficit hit 5.8% of GDP, far above the EU’s 3% ceiling.
The vote leaves Macron scrambling to avoid prolonged paralysis as his presidency enters a perilous phase. Although he retains sweeping powers over foreign policy and defence, Macron’s domestic agenda is in tatters, and critics warn he risks becoming a lame duck if political deadlock persists.
Since dissolving the National Assembly in June 2024, his governments have survived only by navigating shifting alliances, a strategy that collapsed with Bayrou’s defeat.
Two previous prime ministers, Gabriel Attal and Michel Barnier, were ousted within months, and Bayrou’s resignation will deepen perceptions of a government adrift amid mounting economic and geopolitical challenges, from budget shortfalls to wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Le Pen pushes for snap election
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen seized on the crisis to renew calls for Macron to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections, betting her National Rally party could win a majority.
“A big country like France cannot live with a paper government, especially in a tormented and dangerous world,” Le Pen told lawmakers.
