French President Emmanuel Macron is facing down another political crisis and will be forced to choose a new prime minister for the fourth time in less than 12 months following a vote of no-confidence on Monday.
Prime Minister François Bayrou is expected to resign after a sweeping majority voted to boot him from the minority government in a 364–194 vote over his controversial cuts to public spending in an attempt to reduce France’s national debt.
Macron appointed Bayrou in December following a slew of resignations over the year when three other prime ministers left the top job.
French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou at Elysee Palace for an awards ceremony for those who helped restore Notre-Dame, in Paris, France on April 15, 2025. (Pierre Suu/Getty Images)
The French president is expected to appoint another prime minister – the fifth in less than two years.
France is Europe’s second-largest economy, but according to Bayrou, it is facing an economic crisis.
But the centrist leader found himself facing growing opposition after he unveiled plans to reduce the fiscal deficit to 4.6% of GDP next year to secure a savings of $51 billion through a series of spending cuts, tax hikes and the dissolving of two public holidays.
Multiple reports on Monday noted that by the end of the first quarter of 2025, France’s public debt equated to 114% of its GDP.
France’s President Emmanuel Macron (C), US president-elect Donald Trump (L) and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pose before a meeting at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on Dec. 7, 2024. (Sarah Meyssonnier/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
But the vote of no confidence could signal increased gridlock within France’s government at a time when Macron is not only taking on a leading role when it comes to opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine and the existential threats that poses for European allies, but increasing global instability and tense ties with the U.S. – which is also one of its chief trading partners.
It’s unclear if Bayrou will resign Monday night or when Macron publicly addresses the vote.
