French lawmakers voted on Monday to dismiss Prime Minister François Bayrou, deepening the political crisis and leaving the country without a government amid mounting economic and geopolitical pressures, reports CNN.
In a vote that saw 364 MPs oppose Bayrou and 194 in favour, Bayrou's bid to pass an unpopular €44 billion ($51 billion) savings plan, which included scrapping two public holidays and freezing government spending, was rejected. The 364 votes against him far exceeded the 280 needed to oust the government.
Bayrou's resignation, after just nine months in office, follows the path of his predecessor, Michel Barnier, who was also removed by a no-confidence vote last December.
French President Emmanuel Macron is set to appoint a new prime minister, though Bayrou's departure leaves him with limited choices.
The political instability has shaken investors, with French bond yields now higher than those of Spain, Portugal, and Greece. A potential downgrade of France's credit rating could further damage its economic standing in Europe.
"You have the power to bring down the government, but you do not have the power to erase reality," Bayrou told lawmakers on Monday ahead of the vote. "Reality will remain relentless: expenses will continue to rise, and the burden of debt, already unbearable, will grow heavier and more costly."
"We broke the social contract with younger generations," Bayrou added.
The political instability can be traced back to Macron's own dramatic decision last year to call a snap election. Piqued by the remarkable results of the far-right National Rally in the European Parliament elections of May 2024, the French president forced a vote in which his party lost seats to the far right and far left, leaving France with a splintered parliament.
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