Setback for Macron as French Parliament Likely to Oust PM Bayrou.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is expected to be ejected on Monday after calling a surprise no-confidence vote just nine months into his tenure, plunging France into a political crisis and delivering a blow to President Emmanuel Macron.
Bayrou triggered the vote amid a months-long deadlock over a deeply unpopular budget plan aiming to cut 44 billion euros ($52 billion) in spending to reduce the national debt. Opposition parties have declared they will vote against his minority government, making it unlikely he will secure the support of a majority of the 577 National Assembly MPs.
Bayrou has begun talks with opposition leaders, including far-right leader Marine Le Pen, in a last-ditch effort to save his government. If he fails, Macron is expected to appoint a new premier, possibly from the centre-left, rather than call snap elections. Bayrou would become the second consecutive French PM to be removed mid-term after Michel Barnier was ousted in December.
About Bayrou: A former education and justice minister, Bayrou endorsed Macron in 2017 and returned as Macron’s sixth PM after Barnier’s short-lived tenure. His government had sought to reduce France’s budget deficit to 4.6% of GDP next year from 5.4% this year, but opposition parties strongly opposed the plan.
Macron’s challenge: The president faces dwindling approval ratings, with polls showing 64% of the public wanting him to resign. As Macron navigates this domestic turmoil, he is also managing France’s international commitments, including efforts to end Russian aggression in Ukraine, while social tensions rise over budget cuts.
Comments are closed.