French President Emmanuel Macron is on the hunt for his fifth prime minister in less than two years after opposition parties united to oust centre-right Prime Minister Francois Bayrou over his unpopular budget-tightening plans.
Bayrou’s nine-month premiership ended on Monday night when he lost a parliamentary confidence vote. On Tuesday afternoon, he submitted his resignation to Macron. Bayrou and his government will stay on in a caretaker capacity until a new government is named.
Whoever Macron picks to succeed Bayrou will face a near-impossible task as they must unite parliament to pass next year’s budget, with France under pressure to lower its deficit, which stands at nearly double the European Union’s 3% ceiling. The country’s debt pile is equivalent to 114% of GDP.
Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s name is circulating as a potential candidate, though Macron may also consider someone from the centre-left or a technocrat. There are no rules governing whom the president should choose or how fast. However, a government source said Macron may appoint his new prime minister later on Tuesday.
Public Opinion and Political Pressure
Jordan Bardella, president of the far-right National Rally (RN) party, was the most popular choice for France’s next prime minister, according to an RTL poll published on Tuesday. Some 43% of those surveyed would like to see him get the job. RN boss Marine Le Pen and conservative Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau each received 36% of positive responses.
The RN is pushing for Macron to either resign or call a snap legislative election, with Polls showing a vast majority of voters would welcome either outcome. Macron has ruled out resigning after his decision to call a snap election last year delivered a fragmented parliament that has made basic governance challenging. The Socialists believe it is their turn to try. “We need to claim power,” Socialist Party chief Olivier Faure told France Inter radio.
French businesses are worried about the impact of the political crisis. “The fall of the government adds to months of political instability that have already undermined economic confidence,” said Maya Noël of tech lobby France Digitale. “In the innovation sector, this instability has an immediate cost: it slows down investment and hiring.”
Looming Protests
The country is also gearing up for so-called “Block Everything” protests on Wednesday. These protests have mushroomed on social media, echoing the widespread anti-Macron “Yellow Vest” protests that shook the country in 2018. The protesters have no centralized leadership, making it hard to assess how big or disruptive the demonstrations may be.
Paris police chief Laurent Nunez told BFM TV that 80,000 police would be deployed across the country. Authorities fear attempts to block main roads and train stations, and possible violent actions.
Labour unions have also announced a day of strikes and protests on 18 September.
France is in a period of significant political turmoil as Macron’s challenge is not just to find a new prime minister but to stabilize a fractured parliament and address pressing economic concerns. The coming days will be crucial in determining the country’s political and economic trajectory.
