Riffat Kausar
Scandinavian News Agency,
Finland
The French government has stepped down after Prime Minister François Bayrou suffered a decisive defeat in a confidence vote he himself had requested.
The 74-year-old centrist leader, founder of the MoDem party and a three-time presidential candidate (2002, 2007, 2012), gambled on
parliamentary backing for his €43.8 billion austerity package which included the cancellation of two national holidays. But both the left and the far right had already vowed not to support him.
With the 2027 presidential election looming, no major party wanted to share responsibility for Bayrou’s deeply unpopular cuts.
Analysts say Bayrou took the risk because he remains convinced a fourth presidential run could succeed.
President Emmanuel Macron must now appoint a new government. Meanwhile, Marine Le Pen’s far right is calling for snap parliamentary elections,
while Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s far left backed by major trade unions has announced nationwide protests for September 10 under the slogan “Block everything.” They are also demanding Macron’s resignation.
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