France’s Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is facing an uncertain future after announcing a confidence vote in the National Assembly, which three main opposition parties have refused to back over his budget plans.
The far-right National Rally and the Greens have declared they will vote against Bayrou, while the Socialists are hesitant unless he revises his proposals. If the government loses the confidence vote, President Emmanuel Macron could name a new prime minister or ask Bayrou to stay on as head of a caretaker government.
Investors are spooked by the uncertainty, with bond yields rising to their highest level since mid-June. The CAC-40 index also fell 1.6%.
A snap election is possible if the government falls. Macron’s last prime minister, Michel Barnier, was ousted over budget issues in late 2024.
Bayrou acknowledged that seeking a confidence vote from a fragmented parliament is risky but argued it’s necessary to address France’s huge debt pile. The confidence vote will gauge whether his budget proposals have enough support.
The far-right party chief Jordan Bardella called Bayrou’s decision “the end of his government,” while Socialist lawmaker Arthur Delaporte described him as “deaf to the demands of the French.”
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/25/europe/francois-bayrou-french-confidence-vote-intl