France’s center-right government under Prime Minister François Bayrou collapsed on Monday after just nine months in power, failing to win a parliamentary confidence vote on a €44 billion austerity package tied to the 2026 budget. A total of 364 lawmakers voted against the measures, while 194 backed them.
Bayrou is expected to submit his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday (Sept. 9) at midday. Macron now faces the challenge of appointing his third prime minister in just a year — and the fifth since the start of his second presidential term in 2022. The Élysée said a decision would be made “in the coming days.”
This marks the second government collapse in a year, and the fifth since 2022, underscoring the mounting challenge for Macron as he seeks a prime minister capable of steering the budget through parliament.
Lacking a parliamentary majority, Bayrou’s government was vulnerable from the outset, with the left controlling the largest bloc of seats. Analysts say Macron’s options are limited: either call fresh elections or appoint a new prime minister, the latter considered more likely.
The left is demanding that Macron name a left-wing premier, while Marine Le Pen of the far-right National Rally has called for snap elections, buoyed by polls that put her party in the lead.
Meanwhile, protests organized on social media under the banner “Block Everything” are planned for Wednesday, along with strikes in the public sector. All this comes as France’s public deficit climbs to 5.8% of GDP, nearly double the European Union’s 3% limit.
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