The French government has collapsed after lawmakers voted to remove Prime Minister François Bayrou, triggering a political crisis and leaving the country without a functioning administration during a period of economic strain and global tensions.
French legislators cast 364 votes against Bayrou in a no-confidence motion, exceeding the 280-vote threshold required to dismantle the government. The vote followed Bayrou’s attempt to push through a controversial €44 billion ($51 billion) austerity plan, which included eliminating two public holidays and freezing state expenditures.
Bayrou, who had served as prime minister for nine months, will now resign, joining former leader Michel Barnier, who was ousted in December 2023. French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to appoint a new prime minister in the coming days, though his options remain limited amid deepening political fragmentation.
The upheaval has unsettled financial markets, with yields on French government bonds rising above those of Spain, Portugal, and Greece—nations once central to the eurozone debt crisis. A potential downgrade of France’s sovereign debt rating later this week could further damage its economic standing in Europe.
Bayrou warned lawmakers before the vote that “reality will remain relentless: expenses will continue to rise, and the burden of debt, already unbearable, will grow heavier and more costly.” He also acknowledged breaking the “social contract” with younger generations.
The instability stems from Macron’s decision last year to call a snap election, which led to a fragmented parliament after his party lost ground to far-right and far-left factions. The political turmoil underscores growing challenges for France’s leadership amid rising global uncertainties.
