France’s government collapses as Prime Minister François Bayrou Ousted in confidence vote- And About Third PM was removed 12 Months

François Bayrou is the third Macron-appointed Prime Minister to be forced out of office in the past two years. His predecessor Michel Barnier also lost a no-confidence vote last December.

The National Assembly votes to bring down government led by PM Francois Bayou over its plans to cut about $52bn to reduce the country’s debt.

French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou addresses the National Assembly, prior to a parliamentary confidence vote that could bring him down, Monday, Sept. 8, 2025 in Paris.

French President Emmanuel Macron faced a significant political challenge when Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a confidence vote in Parliament on Monday. Bayrou was removed by an overwhelming 364-194 vote, just eight months after he has appointed as Prime Minister.

He plans to submit his resignation to Macron on Tuesday morning. Third French PM to resign in two years.
At 74 years old, Bayrou is the third Prime Minister appointed by Macron to be forced out in the past two years. His predecessor, Michel Barnier, lost a no-confidence vote last December only three months after starting his term, making him the shortest-serving French PM ever.
Gabriel Attal, who held the French Prime Minister position before him, also had a brief tenure. He served for just eight months from January to September 2024.

According to the Elysée Palace, President Macron will announce Bayrou's successor in the next days.
Macron may nominate someone from his centrist ruling group or from the conservatives as the next Prime Minister. However, this would mean sticking to a strategy that has not resulted in a stable alliance. He could also choose a moderate socialist or a technocrat, but none of these options are likely to ensure a parliamentary majority for the next government.
**Bayrou called the confidence vote** Bayrou unexpectedly called for the confidence vote to gain parliamentary support for his plan to reduce a deficit that is nearly double the European Union’s 3% limit and to start addressing a debt equal to 114% of GDP. However, opposition parties were not inclined to back his proposed savings of 44 billion euros ($51.51 billion) in next year’s budget, especially with an election for Macron's successor approaching in 2027.

Before the vote, Bayrou warned that France risks damaging its future and influence by accumulating massive state debts that are “submerging us.” He urged for spending cuts in a last-ditch effort to keep his job. He criticized opponents in the National Assembly who were working to remove his minority government, despite their own significant political differences.

“You have the power to overthrow the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality,” Bayrou said in a speech to the National Assembly before the confidence vote. “Reality will remain harsh. Spending will continue to rise, and the already unbearable debt burden will only get heavier and more costly.”

But Parliament rejected his appeal, with 364 votes against him and only 194 in favor.
Jean-Luc Melenchon, leader of the hard-left France Unbowed, posted on X, stating, “Macron is now on the front line facing the people. He too must go.” The left bloc holds a majority in the 577-seat Parliament but lacks enough support to form a government on its own.
Far-right\ leader Marine Le Pen also called for a snap election, saying, “This moment marks the end of the agony of a phantom government.”
“For Bayrou, this is a crushing defeat. Certainly, a large majority voted against him and his austerity budget,” said Al Jazeera’s Natacha Butler, reporting from Paris.
She noted that opponents on both the far right and the left condemned the plan as unfair, stating it targeted some of the poorest people in France. Even some conservatives who usually support Bayrou turned against him, marking “an incredibly damning day for the former French prime minister in the National Assembly.”
Butler added that it was “another embarrassing moment” for Macron. “This is his second prime minister he’s lost in a year since his surprise snap election in 2024,” she explained, recalling that Michel Barnier lasted only three months before being forced out by Parliament.
Looking ahead, Butler said Macron has limited options. “He doesn’t have many good choices. In fact, most of his choices are bad ones,” she said, warning that the president must now deal with growing social unrest. France is expected to see strikes and protests from trade unions in the coming weeks, adding further strain on an already troubled government.
Hugo Drochon of the University of Nottingham told Al Jazeera that Macron’s options are narrowing. “Either he looks to somebody from the center-right party or he reaches out to the socialists,” he explained, but this would require budget compromises.
Drochon also noted that the stakes extend beyond France’s domestic politics. “The biggest concern, at least from the financial markets, is not so much what’s going to be done, but that something gets done. They want a prime minister and a budget that actually addresses these issues,” he said.
He warned that if Macron fails to act quickly, France risks deeper political paralysis and growing frustration among an already disillusioned public.
“What I think the French people are expecting is something to happen. Can Macron find someone who can navigate this situation? That would reassure everyone. That’s the big challenge,” he added.
The next government’s immediate task will be to push through a budget in an increasingly divided Parliament, the same challenge that ultimately brought down Bayrou.
Macron, already facing calls to resign, has ruled out dissolving Parliament and is preparing for yet another political battle.