French parliament topples government over debt plan
Shafaq News – Paris
On Monday, France’s parliament voted to oust Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government over its plans to curb rising national debt, deepening a political crisis facing President Emmanuel Macron.
Bayrou, a centrist ally of Macron and took office only nine months ago, will submit his resignation on Tuesday after losing the confidence vote by 364 to 194. Before the vote, he told lawmakers, “You have the power to bring down the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality. Expenses will continue to rise, and the burden of debt, already unbearable, will grow heavier and more costly.”
The prime minister had sought parliamentary backing for his plan to cut France’s deficit, which is nearly double the European Union’s 3% ceiling, and to begin reducing public debt equal to 114% of GDP. His 2025 budget proposal included €44 billion ($51.5 billion) in savings.
Opposition parties rejected the plan, with far-right leader Marine Le Pen calling for snap elections. “This moment marks the end of the agony of a phantom government,” she declared.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the left-wing France Unbowed, said on X that the fall of Bayrou is a popular victory, adding, “Even part of his own camp refused to grant him confidence.”
The Elysee said Macron would appoint a new prime minister in the coming days, his fifth in less than two years. The next government’s most urgent task will be to pass a budget and secure support in a fractured parliament.
