What Next? Macron Under Renewed Pressure to Restore Stability After Bayrou Government Collapses
Although widely anticipated, the collapse of Prime Minister François Bayrou’s government has intensified pressure on French President Emmanuel Macron, whose political gambit last year--calling snap elections--continues to paralyze his second term.
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| Image Source: RT |
According to the Élysée Palace, Macron will meet Bayrou on Tuesday to formally accept his resignation and is expected to name a successor “in a matter of days.”
The political deadlock traces back to Macron’s high-stakes decision in June 2024 to dissolve parliament and call early legislative elections--a move that backfired when the results produced a hung parliament with no clear governing majority.
Since then, successive prime ministers have struggled to command confidence in the legislature, with Bayrou’s defeat marking the second collapse of a government in less than a year.
Political analysts say the latest development underscores the growing dysfunction at the heart of the French Fifth Republic, where the president’s broad executive powers are increasingly at odds with a National Assembly resistant to top-down governance.
Macron, who was re-elected in 2022 with a narrower mandate, has found himself hemmed in by both ends of the political spectrum—faced with growing opposition from the left and emboldened pressure from the far right.
With Bayrou’s resignation imminent, speculation has begun over who Macron will select to helm a new government.
While Defence Minister Sébastien Lecornu and Finance Minister Éric Lombard are among the frontrunners, any appointee will inherit the same structural limitations that plagued their predecessors: a legislative chamber divided along ideological lines, and a lack of reliable coalition partners.
In the wake of the vote, Macron’s political instincts--and his ability to forge consensus--will again be tested.
The Élysée has not ruled out a national address, and observers anticipate that the president may turn to the airwaves in the coming days to reassure the public and chart a path forward.
The stakes are high. Beyond internal political paralysis, France is facing looming deadlines on EU fiscal commitments, a sluggish economy, and simmering social unrest.
Any prolonged uncertainty at the top risks further eroding public confidence in Macron’s leadership and feeding disillusionment with traditional parties ahead of key municipal and European elections in 2026.
For now, all eyes are on the Élysée. The announcement of a new prime minister may come within days--but whether the next appointee can break the cycle of instability remains an open question.