French government collapses as PM François Bayrou loses confidence vote

French Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a confidence vote on Monday, bringing his government to an end after nine months and piling pressure on President Emmanuel Macron to stem a spiralling political crisis, Report informs referring to the Financial Times.

Bayrou, a veteran centrist and Macron ally, risked his premiership by seeking parliamentary support for his deficit-cutting efforts, a €44 billion package of tax increases and spending cuts. The confidence motion was defeated by 364 votes to 194 in the National Assembly as opposition parties from across the political spectrum united against Bayrou and his minority government. He ended his premiership on a defiant note, warning France's debt problem would not disappear without action.

"You have the power to topple the government, but you don't have the power to erase reality," he told lawmakers before the vote. Bayrou was expected to submit his official resignation to Macron on Tuesday. The Elysée palace said the president "takes note" of the vote and will appoint a new prime minister in the next few days.

Bayrou's ousting is only the third time since the start of France's fifth republic in 1958 that a prime minister has been toppled by parliament. It is part of the fallout from Macron's decision to call snap legislative elections last year, only to lose them and usher in a hung parliament with an emboldened far right and a rejuvenated left.

Despite not having a majority, Bayrou unexpectedly called the vote before even presenting his official 2026 budget to parliament for debate, sparking incomprehension and anger among the opposition. His plans, including the unpopular idea of scrapping two days of national holiday, sought to begin to narrow France's deficit to 4.6 percent of GDP next year from 5.4 percent by the end of 2025.

Opposition party leaders took to the floor of the National Assembly to argue that Bayrou's debt reduction plans fell unfairly on working people and pensioners, while insulating businesses and the wealthy. Bayrou's predecessor, the conservative politician Michel Barnier, was ousted in December after three months in office following another budget battle.

The political paralysis over France's deficit has rattled investors, who have pushed up borrowing costs since last year's snap elections. The country has Europe's third-highest debt burden, at 114 percent of national output, behind only Greece and Italy.