Macron faces resignation or impeachment as government collapses
He’s set to resign, intensifying pressure on President Macron amid mounting calls for his resignation and accountability.
In a dramatic turn of events, French politics has been thrown into fresh turmoil after Prime Minister François Bayrou was voted out of office in a no-confidence motion on Monday (September 8). The result marks not only the fall of Bayrou’s short-lived government but also deepens the crisis facing President Emmanuel Macron, who is now under mounting pressure to either resign or face impeachment.
The no-confidence motion passed decisively in the French Parliament. Out of the 577 members of the National Assembly, 364 voted against Bayrou, while only 194 supported him. With more than 280 votes required to topple the government, the outcome left no room for doubt: Bayrou had lost the confidence of lawmakers and would be forced to step down.
The defeat is particularly significant because Bayrou had only been in office for nine months. His resignation will now be submitted to President Macron, making him yet another casualty in a string of political shake-ups. Bayrou’s predecessor, Michel Barnier, had also resigned under similar circumstances, leaving Macron with the daunting task of appointing yet another prime minister—the fifth in less than two years.
The fallout has been swift. She warned that Macron now has only two choices: resign voluntarily or face the prospect of impeachment. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen, meanwhile, has demanded that Parliament itself be dissolved, arguing that France needs a fresh mandate from the people to move forward.
One possibility being discussed is the appointment of a caretaker government while he searches for a permanent replacement for Bayrou. Among the frontrunners for the role of prime minister are Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin, both considered close allies of the president. However, whoever takes the reins will be stepping into a deeply divided political landscape.
He hoped to rally parliamentary support for his plan to tackle France’s ballooning national debt, which currently stands at 114 percent of the country’s GDP, far above the European Union’s ceiling of 3 percent. His strategy included strict deficit reduction measures, but it failed to convince a majority of lawmakers.
The debate leading up to the vote was fierce and emotional. Mathilde Panot echoed those sentiments, telling Bayrou directly, “Today is a day of relief over your departure.”
Bayrou, however, remained defiant even in defeat. Addressing Parliament, he acknowledged lawmakers’ power to topple his government but insisted they could not “erase reality.” He warned that expenses would continue to rise, and the already crushing burden of debt would grow heavier in the coming years. His words reflected the ongoing economic challenges facing France, which remain unresolved despite the political upheaval.
With opposition parties circling and public frustration growing, his next moves will determine not only his political survival but also the stability of the French government. The question now is whether he can regain control of the situation—or whether this marks the beginning of the end for his presidency.