In a dramatic twist in Paris, President Emmanuel Macron is racing against the clock to name his fifth prime minister in under two years. The move comes after center-right Prime Minister Francois Bayrou suffered a crushing 364-194 defeat in a parliamentary confidence vote on Monday, effectively collapsing the government's bid to tighten the budget.
Bayrou will hand in his resignation on Tuesday, leaving Macron with a thorny question: who can navigate France's fragmented parliament and secure approval for next year's budget? Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu has been floated as a contender, but whispers in political circles point to potential picks from the center-left or a neutral technocrat.
With no formal rules guiding the selection process, Macron – 47 and in office since 2017 – has announced that a new PM will be named "in the next few days." Meanwhile, Socialist Party chief Olivier Faure has staked a claim: "It's time for the left, the greens. We need to claim power," he told France Inter radio.
The far-right National Rally is dialing up pressure, demanding snap elections – a call Macron has rebuffed after a similar gamble last year led to an even more splintered parliament. Markets barely flinched on Tuesday, having largely priced in Bayrou's departure. All eyes are now on Fitch, which will announce France's sovereign rating on Friday.
The political drama is unfolding against a backdrop of grassroots activism. Social media-fueled "Let's Block Everything" protests are set for Wednesday, with no central organizer but mounting local "farewell drinks" for Bayrou in cities like Clermont-Ferrand. Protester Alain Petit, 61, summed up the mood: "Now that the prime minister change is done, they need to target what's higher up – that's a message for Macron."
Labour unions have already scheduled strikes and demonstrations for September 18, ensuring that whoever takes the reins as prime minister will step into a storm of public unrest and economic uncertainty.
Reference(s):
France's Macron seeks new prime minister after government's collapse
cgtn.com
