France Braces for Third Prime Minister in a Year as Bayrou Resign

France is embroiled in a deepening political crisis as Prime Minister François Bayrou has tendered his resignation following a crushing no-confidence vote in Parliament. This marks the third prime minister ousted in just over a year, underscoring the Fifth Republic’s mounting instability.

Bayrou, a centrist appointed in December 2024, called the confidence vote to push through a contentious austerity budget aimed at slashing €44 billion from spending, including cuts to welfare, civil-service jobs, and public holidays, all in an attempt to rein in the country’s ballooning debt, now exceeding 114% of GDP. The plan triggered backlash across the political spectrum and failed to win support.

The no-confidence motion passed with 364 votes against and only 194 in favor, effectively ending Bayrou’s brief nine-month tenure.

The fall of Bayrou’s government follows a pattern of instability: his predecessor, Michel Barnier, was ousted in December 2024 over similar budgetary disputes, making Bayrou’s departure the latest in a string of rapid turnovers.

President Emmanuel Macron now must quickly name a successor, possibly later today or within the coming days. Potential candidates being considered include Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, and more moderate figures such as former Socialist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve or Finance Minister Éric Lombard. However, forging viable governance in a fractured parliament remains a formidable challenge.

Public frustration is rising. Protests are mounting under the banner “Let’s Block Everything,” prompting a heavy police presence of tens of thousands to prepare for widespread disruption. The government's collapse has heightened fears of economic turmoil, political paralysis, and the erosion of France’s democratic stability, drawing comparisons with the instability of the Fourth Republic.

With Macron needing to navigate this polarized legislature just two years before the presidential election in 2027, the road ahead looks fraught with fiscal urgency and political gridlock.

Source: The Guardian, AP News, BBC News