France’s government collapsed on Monday after Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a confidence vote in the National Assembly, plunging Europe’s second-largest economy into fresh political turmoil. Lawmakers voted 364–194 against Bayrou, forcing his resignation and obliging President Emmanuel Macron to seek his fourth prime minister in just 12 months.
Bayrou, 74, had staked his government’s survival on a call for sweeping spending cuts to rein in France’s soaring debt, now at €3.3 trillion, or 114% of GDP. Instead, rivals across the political spectrum united to oust his fragile minority government, which lasted less than nine months.
In a final appeal, Bayrou warned that mounting debt was “submerging” France, leaving the country dependent on foreign creditors. But his dramatic warnings failed to sway lawmakers, who seized the chance to bring him down.
The defeat raises fears of prolonged political deadlock as Macron faces mounting budget strains and international crises from Ukraine to Gaza. Despite having two weeks to prepare for the government’s collapse after François Bayrou announced his confidence vote in August, President Emmanuel Macron still faces uncertainty, with no clear successor emerging.
Since September 2024, Macron has cycled through three prime ministers: Gabriel Attal, who resigned; Michel Barnier, ousted by parliament in December; and now Bayrou, brought down in Monday’s vote. The president must again search for a leader capable of forging consensus in a lower house dominated by his opponents.
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