France might spiral into political turmoil as Bayrou faces crucial confidence vote

(MENAFN) France is entering a decisive week as Prime Minister Francois Bayrou faces a crucial confidence vote on Monday, which he is widely expected to lose.

Bayrou, 74, a longtime centrist and President Emmanuel Macron’s fourth prime minister since 2022, called for the vote on Sept. 8 after presenting his contentious 2026 budget proposal on Aug. 25.

The plan aimed to save around €44 billion ($51.5 billion) through reductions in pension and health spending, as well as scrapping two public holidays. But the strategy appears to have backfired.

Both the far-right National Rally (RN) and the left-wing Socialists have pledged to oppose him, criticizing the measures as unjust and harmful to society.

"This country risks embarking on what is, in effect, a suicidal path," said Nicolas Tenzer, a senior fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA).

Tenzer suggested Bayrou may have pushed for the confidence vote to avoid facing a blocked budget later this year. "It was certainly a risky gamble," he said.

France’s financial situation has been worsening for years. Public debt currently stands at 113.9% of GDP — the third highest in the European Union after Greece and Italy — while last year’s deficit was nearly twice the EU’s 3% ceiling.

The country has not balanced its budget in more than five decades and now spends more on debt interest than on defense or education.

"He (Bayrou) wanted to make the French people aware of the dramatic situation of public finances, for which all governments, both left and right, have been partly responsible for the past 40 years," Tenzer explained.

Although critics have labeled Bayrou’s proposal as an austerity plan, Tenzer rejected that characterization.

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