French PM Francois Bayrou loses confidence vote over budget cuts

According to local media, Bayrou will hand his resignation to Macron on Tuesday.

PARIS, Sept. 8 (Xinhua) -- French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou on Monday lost a confidence vote in the French National Assembly over his budget plan seeking to save 44 billion euros (51.66 billion U.S. dollars) per year in government spending.

According to the results announced by the Speaker of the French National Assembly, Yael Braun-Pivet, only 194 were in favor of Bayrou out of 558 valid votes.

Speaking to the deputies Monday afternoon ahead of the vote, Bayrou stressed that France's excessive debt was "life-threatening" for the country.

According to official figures, France's public debt stood at 3,345.8 billion euros, or 114 percent of its GDP, at the end of the first quarter of 2025.

"Reality will remain inexorable, spending will continue to rise, and the burden of debt, already unbearable, will grow heavier and more costly," Bayrou said, urging the country to "act without delay."

"It only requires the mobilization and moderate efforts from everyone, provided we act in time," he stressed.

In a speech before the vote, Marine Le Pen, former presidential candidate of France's far-right wing party National Rally, called on President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve the National Assembly to hold new elections following Bayrou's defeat.

According to local media, Bayrou will hand his resignation to Macron on Tuesday. (1 euro = 1.17 U.S. dollar)