French finance minister Éric Lombard has warned that the government will need to compromise on its deficit-cutting plans if Prime Minister François Bayrou is ousted in a confidence vote next week. He said concessions to opposition parties, particularly on austerity measures, would be unavoidable in order to pass a budget.
Bayrou faces fierce resistance over his proposed €44 billion budget plan, which includes freezing welfare spending and scrapping two public holidays. Opposition groups across the political spectrum have vowed to vote against him, predicting his downfall and a resulting political crisis.
Despite this, Bayrou has pledged to “fight like a dog” before the 8 September vote, claiming that France’s future depends on his plan to reduce public debt. However, several parties—including the Communists, Socialists, and Greens—dismissed his last-minute talks as futile. The National Rally branded his government a “sinking ship,” while others declared there was no path to survival.
If Bayrou loses, President Emmanuel Macron is expected to appoint a new prime minister. Yet with parliament deeply divided and no absolute majority among the left, centrists, or the far right, any successor would face similar obstacles in passing a budget. Macron has already ruled out another snap election, suggesting cross-party negotiations may be the only way forward.