The French parliament passed a vote of no confidence with 364 votes, formally bringing down the government led by Prime Minister François Bayrou. Several French lawmakers said that President Macron now has two choices: either resign and leave quickly or wait to be impeached. Bayrou is the fifth prime minister to fall in less than two years in France.
The collapse of Bayrou's government was directly caused by his proposed fiscal austerity plan failing to gain majority support in parliament. In other words, the French government is short of money and needs to cut some benefits for the people. The plan aims to reduce huge fiscal spending to address France's severe debt problem. The total public debt of France has reached 3.4 trillion euros, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 114% (as of the end of Q1 2025), and the fiscal deficit accounts for 5.8% of GDP (in 2024). Bayrou warned that if no action is taken, the country may face the risk of bankruptcy and operational shutdown.
However, these austerity measures (such as abolishing two statutory holidays and significantly reducing the increase in healthcare spending) were strongly criticized by the opposition. A deeper reason lies in the three-way power balance formed after the June 2024 parliamentary elections: the ruling party alliance does not have a stable majority in the National Assembly, making it difficult for government bills to pass, and the stability of the government is greatly reduced. Bayrou's resignation did not resolve the political deadlock. Macron stated he would not hold early elections or resign, and his top priority is to appoint a new prime minister within a few days. However, the new prime minister will also face the dilemma of lacking majority support in parliament, making it extremely difficult to pass the 2026 budget bill.
The collapse of Bayrou's government once again reveals the difficulty of implementing fiscal reforms under the pressure of high debt and high deficits in France. The new prime minister appointed by Macron, and whether the new government can find a way to break the political deadlock, not only relates to the fate of the 2026 budget bill, but will also deeply affect the future political and economic direction of France. Regarding the potential candidate for the next French prime minister, media analysis currently suggests that it could be Defense Minister Bastien Lecornu.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842761080916107/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.