He thinks it is necessary in view of the national debt that comes out of hand that the government is cutting back. He wants to spend almost 44 billion euros less in the budget plans for 2026. The government has no majority in the French Second Chamber and can only count on 210 of the 577 MPs. The largest right -wing opposition party, the nationalist rassemblement National, is fierce against his plans, just like left -wing parties, in particular the radical La France Insoumise. Both together are good for 195 seats.
If the Parliament rejects his plans, Bayrou submits his resignation with President Emmanuel Macron and the government has fallen. The president can then try to appoint a new prime minister. Bayrou has been his sixth prime minister since he came to power in 2017 and the third since the beginning of 2024.
Elections
A prime minister must go to the parliament for the trust of a majority. Macron could also let things go on their course and have the resigning government arranged current affairs for the time being. He can also decide to dissolve the House and write out new elections. That is what the largest opposition parties demand. They expect good election results.
The budget problems where Bayrou says he urgently has to do something with unpopular measures are large by European standards and guidelines. The annual deficit has a value of almost 6 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP). The country continues to borrow a lot and has a national debt of more than 3300 billion euros. That is equivalent to a value of almost 114 percent of GDP. According to European guidelines, it must be less than 60 percent for the stability of the eurozone.
According to Bayrou, the interest on the loans is in danger of becoming the largest issue of the government for a long time. France already spends more on interest rates than to defense or education.