AhlulBayt News Agency: France’s parliament is preparing to remove Prime Minister François Bayrou after just nine months in office, intensifying political instability and creating a major challenge for President Emmanuel Macron.
Bayrou surprised even his allies by initiating a confidence vote to resolve a prolonged deadlock over his austerity budget, which proposes nearly €44 billion ($52 billion) in savings to reduce national debt.
Opposition parties have declared their intention to vote against Bayrou’s minority government, making it unlikely he will secure the required majority of 577 MPs in the National Assembly.
Bayrou is set to become the second consecutive prime minister to be ousted, following Michel Barnier, who was removed in December after only three months in office.
As Macron’s sixth prime minister since 2017, Bayrou has not expressed confidence in surviving the vote, instead asking in interviews whether the nation grasps the gravity of its current situation.
This moment marks a critical turning point for Macron, who must either appoint a seventh prime minister to broker a compromise or call snap elections to secure a more cooperative parliament.
While Macron remains prominent internationally for leading European efforts to end the war in Ukraine, domestic polls signal trouble ahead, with his approval rating plummeting and re-election barred in 2027.
According to an Odoxa-Backbone poll, 64% of French citizens prefer Macron to resign rather than appoint another prime minister. Ifop reports his approval rating has dropped to a record low of 23%.
A leftist group named “Block Everything” has announced a day of action on September 10, while trade unions have called for a nationwide strike on September 18.
Although elections may not benefit Macron’s centre-right bloc, he is reportedly considering collaboration with the weakened Socialist Party (PS).
At a centrist gathering, Macron encouraged cooperation with the Socialists, though attendees opposed the idea of snap elections, according to one participant.
Socialist leader Olivier Faure has expressed readiness to become prime minister and has prepared a budget proposal, though his support may not be enough to unite other left-wing factions.
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