Rabat – France is heading into fresh political uncertainty after Prime Minister François Bayrou asked for a confidence vote on his debt-cutting plan to be held on September 8.
Opposition parties from both the far right and the hard left have already vowed to bring him down, while unions and activists are calling for mass anti-austerity protests and a nationwide shutdown on September 10.
Bayrou surprised the country on Monday when he asked President Emmanuel Macron to call an extraordinary session of parliament. He needs lawmakers’ support for his plan to cut France’s soaring public debt, but many parties have rejected his proposals.
The measures, which include reducing the number of public holidays, aim to save around €44 billion ($51 billion).
The plan has been unpopular with the public, sparking anger across the political spectrum. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said parliament should be dissolved, while far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon demanded that Macron resign if Bayrou loses the vote. “Macron is chaos,” Mélenchon told France Inter radio.
The stakes are high. If Bayrou is defeated, he would become the second prime minister in less than a year to be ousted by parliament, after Michel Barnier was toppled in December 2024.
That would also leave President Macron searching for his seventh prime minister, which would further weaken his authority in the last two years of his term. Macron has already faced repeated calls to step down since dissolving parliament in 2024, a move that plunged French politics into crisis.
Government ministers are urging compromise, but they admit all options remain open. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said dissolution of parliament “must not be ruled out,” even if it would be costly. Economy Minister Eric Lombard insisted the government must “fight” to pass the budget because “the country needs it.”