Liputan6.com, Jakarta The French government faced a deep political crisis on Monday, September 8, 2025, after Prime Minister François Bayrou surprisingly lost a no-confidence vote in parliament, as reported by Euro News.
This marked the collapse of the cabinet and forced President Emmanuel Macron to urgently seek his fourth prime minister in just over a year.
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The defeat of the no-confidence vote occurred at 10:51 p.m. local time, with a landslide vote of 364 to 194.
François Bayrou, a 74-year-old veteran politician, had served as prime minister for the past nine months.
He was the third prime minister to resign in the past 12 months and the fifth since President Macron's second term began in 2022.
The collapse was triggered by parliament's rejection of Bayrou's own budget proposals, which aimed to reduce France's ballooning fiscal deficit.
Crucial Moment: Defeat of No-Confidence Motion
The French government under Prime Minister François Bayrou officially collapsed on September 8, 2025.
This collapse occurred after Bayrou lost a no-confidence motion in parliament.
The motion was introduced as an attempt to pressure lawmakers to support his budget proposals.
The vote resulted in 364 votes against Bayrou, compared to 194 for him.
He became the third prime minister to resign in the past 12 months, and the fifth since President Emmanuel Macron began his second term in 2022.
Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN) said on Monday: "The real reset would be the resignation of the French president."
Talking about the next steps, Le Pen added that "The President has only one option: to call new elections and let the country choose."
Budget and Fiscal Policy
The primary cause of the Bayrou government's collapse was parliament's rejection of his controversial budget proposal.
The proposal included planned cuts of $52 billion (approximately €44 billion), aimed at reducing France's ballooning fiscal deficit.
At the heart of the dispute is France's fragile public finances.
Last year's deficit reached 5.8% of GDP, nearly double the European Union's 3% limit, while national debt now stands at more than €3.3 trillion, about 114% of economic output.
Many argued that such large cuts would negatively impact public services and social welfare.
The motion of no confidence was actually initiated by Bayrou himself, in an attempt to secure parliamentary support.
However, this strategy backfired and led to the collapse of his government.
Political Impact in France
The collapse of this government has triggered significant political uncertainty and increased the risk of prolonged legislative deadlock in France.
This situation is exacerbated by a deeply divided parliament, the result of Macron's decision to dissolve the National Assembly and hold general elections in June 2024.
Instead of strengthening his centrist alliance, the elections resulted in a hung parliament without a dominant majority bloc.
Opposition parties, including the left-wing party led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon and the right-wing party led by Marine Le Pen, have seized on this momentum, calling for new parliamentary elections or even President Macron's resignation.
Roots of the Crisis: A Divided Parliament
The political crisis in France has been ongoing since the 2024 legislative elections, which resulted in a hung parliament with three main competing blocs.
These blocs include the left-wing alliance, Macron's centrist coalition, and the far-right National Rally party.
This fragile parliamentary situation has led to the formation of two short-lived minority governments.
Prior to François Bayrou, Michel Barnier was also ousted the previous December due to a budget dispute.
The French Fifth Republic is now entering a period of unprecedented political instability.
Macron's decision to call early legislative elections in June 2024, which was expected to strengthen his position, has instead resulted in an increasingly fragmented parliament.