France’s governing coalition fell apart on Monday with a no-confidence vote for the current prime minister, who is an ally of President Emmanuel Macron.
“Premier François Bayrou was ousted overwhelmingly in a 364-194 vote against him, losing an apparent gamble that lawmakers would back his push for France to slash public spending to repay its debts,” the New York Post reported.
Bayrou, a centrist, is the fourth prime minister in 12 months.
France, Europe’s second-largest economy, is currently grappling with a government debt crisis.
“At the end of the first quarter of 2025, France’s public debt stood at $3.93 trillion, or about 114% of gross domestic product. (The US debt to GDP ratio is about 119%),” the New York Post said.
“The greatest risk was to not take one, to let things go on without changing anything, to go on doing politics as usual,” Bayrou said, describing France as a nation facing “a silent, underground, invisible, and unbearable hemorrhage” of excessive public borrowing.
The prime minister’s budget called for $51 billion in savings by scrapping two public holidays and freezing government spending.
French National Assembly Deputy Mathilde Panot argued following the vote, “We are relieved to see this budget won’t be adopted. What we did today, i.e. overthrow a government, is a victory for popular organization during the summer.”
‘We are giving Macron two choices. Either he can be impeached or he can resign’ says French National Assembly Deputy Mathilde Panot.
She is speaking in Paris after the French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou lost the confidence vote.https://t.co/TC2ROCL7wW
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— Sky News (@SkyNews) September 8, 2025
“Tomorrow, we will ask for impeachment of Macron. The problem for the country is Mr. Macron. The day after tomorrow, we will be in the streets to block the country’s economy, to say, ‘This is enough,’” she continued.
“We’re giving Macron two choices: Either he can be impeached or he can resign,” Panot said.
The New York Post noted, “Bayrou’s failed gamble harkens back to Macron’s own stunning decision to dissolve the National Assembly in June 2024, which he hoped would strengthen his pro-European centrist alliance.
“The decision, however, backfired, creating no dominant political block for the first time in France’s modern history and inflaming tensions between lawmakers and the president.”
Right-wing leader Marine Le Pen is calling on Macron to dissolve the National Assembly, believing her National Rally party can win a majority.
???????? BREAKING: The French Parliament has voted to remove Prime Minister François Bayrou from office and bring down his Government.
Emmanuel Macron may announce new Parliamentary Elections now, with Marine Le Pen’s right-wing Party ahead in the Polls.
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— Cillian (@CilComLFC) September 8, 2025
Politico is reporting that Macron is pushing for a “grand coalition” from center left to center right, including the Socialists and the conservative Les Républicains, who had backed Bayrou.
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