What happened to the French government? Why he collapsed and what comes then

The legislators overthrew the French government during a vote of trust on Monday, a new crisis for the second European economy which obliges President Emmanuel Macron to seek a fourth prime minister in 12 months.

Prime Minister François Bayrou was massively ousted during a 364-194 vote against him. Bayrou paid the price of what seemed to be an amazing political error, playing that legislators supported that France must reduce public spending to slow down its debts.

Instead, they seized during the vote that Bayrou called to regroup against the 74 -year -old centrist who was appointed by Macron last December.

The disappearance of the short -term minority government of Bayrou – now constitutionally obliged to submit its resignation after a little less than nine months of function – announces a renewed uncertainty and a risk of prolonged legislative blocking for France while it fights against pressing challenges, in particular budgetary difficulties and, internationally, wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the gear change priorities Donald.

Here’s what you need to know.

Who is in charge?

As president, Macron will continue to have substantial powers on foreign policy and European affairs, and he remains the commander -in -chief of the soldiers of nuclear weapons.

But at the national level, the ambitions of the 47 -year -old president are increasingly faced with ruin.

The root of this last collapse of the government was Macron’s astonishing decision to dissolve the National Assembly in June 2024, triggering a legislative election that the French chief hoped to strengthen the hand of his pro-European centrist alliance.

But the bet turned against him, producing a clear legislature without a political block dominant to power for the first time in the modern Republic of France.

Without an achievable majority, Macron’s minority governments have since passed the crisis to the crisis, surviving the whim of the opposing political blocks on the left and the far right which do not have enough seats to govern, but can, when they team up, overturn Macron’s choices.

Look | Here is what happened the last time the French government collapsed:

Why the French government collapsed | On this subject

The French government collapsed after a vote of non-confidence forced Prime Minister Michel Barnier to resign. Andrew Chang breaks down how a series of events launched by President Emmanuel Macron led to this politically and economically busy moment, and the uphill battle is now faced to put the country back on the right track.

Why did Bayrou call a vote of trust?

Bayrou also launched the dice by calling for the vote of confidence, a decision that quickly aroused the political veteran while the legislators on the left and extreme right took the opportunity to avoid it, seeking to increase the pressure on Macron.

Discussing for clear cuts to repair public finances, Bayrou had proposed to reduce 44 billion euros ($ 70 billion in CDN) in expenses in 2026, after France’s deficit reached 5.8% of GDP last year, well above the EU official target by three%.

Speaking in the National Assembly, Bayrou painted a dramatic picture of France becoming liable to foreign creditors and addicted to living beyond his means – the problems he warned would survive his government without corrective action.

He conceded in his last speech as Prime Minister in the National Assembly that putting his fate at stake was risky. But he said that the France’s debt crisis forced him to request legislative support from the remedies, faced with what he called “a silent, underground, invisible and unbearable” hemorrhage of excessive public loans.

How bad is the debt of France?

France holds the highest deficit in percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the euro zone – the block of countries using the single currency of the EU.

At the end of the first quarter of 2025, France’s public debt was 3.346 euros of euros (around 5.4 billions of CDN dollars), or 114% of the gross domestic product.

The debt service remains a major budget element, representing around seven% of public spending.

Who could replace Bayrou?

Although Macron had two weeks to prepare for the collapse of the government after Bayrou announced in August that he was looking for a vote with confidence on his unpopular budgetary plans, no first cycle has become a successor.

Under the French political system, the Prime Minister is appointed by the President, responsible for the Parliament and is responsible for implementing internal policy, in particular economic measures

After the departure of Gabriel Attal as Prime Minister in September 2024, followed by the eviction of the former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier by the Parliament in December and Bayrou also left, Macron again in search of a replacement of the room of Parliament in the lower room of Parliament which is stacked with opponents of the French chief.

Macron’s office said that he would accept the resignation of the Bayrou government on Tuesday and appoints a new Prime Minister “in the coming days”.

Could the opposition force an election?

The most urgent task of the next government will be to take a budget, the same challenge that Bayrou was faced when he took office. Securing the support of a very divided parliament will be just as difficult.

The National Assembly of 577 places interrupted its summer recess to meet for the extraordinary session of the political drama. Macron’s opponents worked to take advantage of the crisis to put pressure for a new legislative election, pressure for Macron’s departure or jostle for positions in the next government.

The far -right chief, Marine Le Pen, called Macron to dissolve the National Assembly again, apparently confident that his national Rallye party and his allies would gain a majority during a legislative election in instruction, positioning it to form a new government.

“A large country like France cannot live with a paper government, especially in a tormented and dangerous world,” she said.

Macron could possibly decide that the only way to the crisis lies in the call of an early election, but so far he has resisted Le Pen calls.

Macron himself promised to remain in office until the end of his mandate in 2027, but risks becoming a lame duck at the national level if the political paralysis continues.