FRANCE has been plunged deeper into a political crisis after its Prime Minister lost a confidence motion this evening.
François Bayrou, who was only appointed by President Emmanuel Macron last December, has been ousted after lawmakers voted to remove him from office.
AFPFrancois Bayrou delivers his general policy statement ahead of the confidence vote[/caption]
GettyParliament has been deadlocked for months after President Macron called a snap election in summer 2024[/caption]
AFPFrance is on course to have its sixth Prime Minister in the space of five years[/caption]
The 74-year-old voluntarily called this confidence motion in the full knowledge he was unlikely to survive.
It came after sustained backlash in the French parliament to his sweeping austerity budget that aimed to cut government spending by €44billion (£38billion).
The outgoing Prime Minister warned that France’s youth risk being burdened with debt “for the sake of the comfort of boomers” unless the government can get a grip.
France‘s national debt to GDP ratio currently stands at an eye-watering 114%.
“The whole model of our nation needs to be reinvented,” Bayrou said before lawmakers as he fought for his political life.
“This debt has a price,” he cautioned.
Bayrou added: “You have the power to overthrow the government but you don’t have to power to erase the truth.”
In a last-ditch attempt to save his career, he even warned that France could repeat Britain’s mistakes if it tried to tax the rich to solve its debt crisis.
He said: “Our British neighbours decided to tax foreigners who were exempt from taxation.
“Those foreigners moved away, and the immediate consequence was an explosion in property prices in Milan.”
This means France is on course to have its sixth Prime Minister in the space of five years after a turbulent period for the country’s politics.
Bayrou’s predecessor Michel Barnier – well known for his past role as the EU’s Brexit negotiator – only lasted three months before he was removed in a confidence motion last December.
Parliament has been deadlocked for months after President Macron called a snap election in summer 2024 that saw support for his centrist coalition collapse.
Parties of the far-left and far-right gained substantial ground in the vote, making the challenge of forming a stable government fraught with difficulty.
The far-right National Rally party, whose former leader Marine Le Pen was a runner-up to Macron for the presidency twice, refused to back Bayrou’s budget plans.
Ahead of the confidence vote, Le Pen accused the Prime Minister of committing “political suicide”.
She said on Sunday: “This crisis was provoked and fuelled by President Emmanuel Macron and all those who have served him.
“Today, because of them, France is the sick man of Europe.”
Left wing parties had also indicated their intention to vote against Bayrou, effectively sealing the beleaguered Prime Minister’s fate.
Emmanuel Macron, who has been President since 2017, has already been through six Prime Ministers during his tenure.
In France, Prime Ministers are directly appointed by the President and are then responsible for forming a government.
Macron also has the power to call another snap parliamentary election, although it’s believed he is unlikely to do this.
His current tenure as President will expire in 2027, and he will be unable to run for the office again due to term limits.
Some figures have even called for Macron to resign ahead of the end of his term, although many analysts see this as unlikely.
What is behind the chaos in France?
FRANCE has been gripped by political deadlock for more than a year now, and it all goes back to last summer.
Emmanuel Macron unexpectedly called a snap legislative election – one that spectacularly backfired.
An avowed centrist, Macron’s moderate bloc lost dozens of seats amid a surge in support for the far-right National Rally, which dominated the first round of voting.
While a left wing coalition would emerge in first place after round two, no party was anywhere close to a majority.
Without a stable governing coalition needed to tackle the country’s burgeoning debt crisis, successive Prime Ministers have tried and failed to take tough decisions.
But this messy composition of the French Parliament makes it a tricky equation to solve – and one that’s already brought multiple Prime Ministers down.
Macron now faces several unenviable options, from betting the house on another new Prime Minister to fresh snap elections – or even his own premature exit.
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