French Prime Minister François Bayrou has warned that the country is facing its gravest financial crisis in decades, announcing plans for sweeping austerity measures and calling for a vote of confidence in parliament. But with opposition parties already lining up against him, the government risks collapsing before its budget plan is even debated.
Speaking at a press conference after talks with President Emmanuel Macron at Bregançon, Bayrou declared that parliament would convene in an extraordinary session on Sept. 8, two weeks before its scheduled reopening, to test confidence in his government.
“The most important budget in our history awaits us,” he said, outlining a €44 billion deficit reduction plan over four years to prevent what he called the “certain risk of over-indebtedness.”
Bayrou claimed that weakened international law, rising geopolitical tensions, and unfair economic competition had led to the crippling austerity measures being necessary, warning that “the dream of a Europe that matters in the world has vanished.”
The measures under discussion include cuts to unemployment benefits and the abolition of two public holidays, both of which are highly unpopular. Bayrou insisted that nothing has been finalized and that details would emerge during the autumn budget debate.
Yet the confidence vote he has requested is not on specific reforms, but on whether his fragile centrist government should survive at all.
Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National has already rejected the government, demanding a dissolution of parliament.
“François Bayrou clearly has not understood that the French are fully aware of the economic and financial crisis in which our country is plunged after eight years of Macronism, a crisis that adds to so many other failures jeopardizing the very survival of our nation,” Le Pen wrote on X.
“It is precisely because they have understood the gravity of the situation that our compatriots reject the Prime Minister’s measures, as unjust as they are ineffective,” she added.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Insoumise has also pledged to vote against. He told France Inter on Tuesday morning that the country is in crisis and is experiencing a democratic deficit, as Emmanuel Macron was defeated in the latest parliamentary elections but still governs.
“The 5th Republic has reached its limit. It entrusts excessive power to a person who can govern without any majority. We must face up to the need to move to the 6th Republic, without worsening the deadlock,” he told the broadcaster.
Green leader Marine Tondelier dismissed the very idea of confidence, saying, “A vote of confidence equals resignation.”
With the opposition united and mass demonstrations planned for Sept. 10 reminiscent of the yellow vest movement, new French elections could once again be on the horizon.
