Description: France’s Parliament has ousted Prime Minister Bayrou as the country tilts towards experiencing a protracted crisis and pressure grows on President Emmanuel Macron to resign. Bayrou stated his intention to call for the failed vote of confidence, over France’s budget cuts and debt crisis which has exceeded 3.3 billion euros which equaled 114% of the nation’s GDP. Macron’s office has issued a statement that a new Prime Minister would be appointed in the next couple of days following Bayrou’s ouster, while he would remain in a governmental caretaking capacity. Political parties in France, especially the far – right National Rally party and the far – left Unbowed, have exerted their influence to push Bayrou out of office and intensified calls for snap elections, a scenario that President Macron has consistently attempted to avoid. Among the potential candidates to inherit France’s mounting debt problems and Macron’s label as an outgoing President are the current Defense Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, the current Minister of Labor and Health, Catherine Vautrin, Interior Minister Bruno Retaileau and Justice Minister Gerald Darmanin. The leader of the Socialist Party, Oliver Faure, former leftist Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve and Pierre Moscovici were also in the running if Macron aimed at reaching across the political isle in order to avoid immediate unrest. The grassroot protest movement, Bloquons Tout (Let’s Block Everything) has issued nationwide calls for protests on Wednesday, 10 Sep, while the country’s Trade Unions were also reportedly planning to protest next week.
Impact: The highly anticipated confidence vote delivered a spiraling domestic crisis in France, which is set to have it’s fifth Prime Minister in less than two years. Evident political divisions between parties within the country’s Parliament, which are pursuing their independent political charters, indicates that Macron’s next appointment for Prime Minister would most probably be exposed to the same scrutiny regarding the country’s growing debt issues and postpone what is set to become a protracted political crisis. Macron himself has grown largely unpopular domestically despite internationally managing to portray an image of stability and influence as he faces mounting pressure from the Unbowed and the National Rally parties to call for snap elections. The announced protests from various civil movements and trade unions signals that France could face public unrest and disapproval of the government’s policies much sooner than expected. The political crisis also impacts Europe as a whole as France is the second largest economy in the Eurozone and is one of the pivotal countries in the EU’s ambitions to gain economic and defensive independence while struggling to remain geopolitically relevant.