Opposition parties threaten to topple Prime Minister Bayrou’s government over a proposed €40 billion in budget cuts for 2026, sparking fears of fresh political turmoil in France.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou faces renewed political pressure as opposition parties raise the possibility of a no-confidence vote over the government’s 2026 budget plans, which include €40 billion in savings to reduce the deficit.
Finance Minister Éric Lombard revealed in a television interview that the government intends to bring the budget deficit down to 4.6% of GDP in 2026, from 5.4% this year. To achieve that, he said, deep spending cuts would be required.
Bayrou, who took office in December after the collapse of Michel Barnier’s government over the 2025 budget, is expected to outline these austerity measures in a speech on Tuesday. The looming cuts have sparked immediate backlash from both the far left and far right, as well as key members of the Socialist Party.
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Socialist lawmaker Arthur Delaporte warned that the government does not have the majority to pass an austerity budget without concessions. “We will not accept a budget filled with social cuts that does not involve those who can contribute the most,” he said, suggesting the Socialists could play a decisive role in any no-confidence vote.
Bayrou was only able to pass the 2025 budget after negotiating with the Socialists. If the party aligns with far-left France Unbowed and the far-right National Rally, the government could be at real risk.
Sebastien Chenu, a senior figure in the National Rally, said his party would vote against the government if it moves forward with cuts affecting ordinary citizens. “A budget that asks the French to tighten their belts exposes the government to a no-confidence motion from us,” he said in an interview.
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Manuel Bompard of France Unbowed said the party is ready to propose a motion of no confidence but will only proceed if it has backing from other leftist parties.
The vote on the 2026 budget is months away, but the political debate surrounding it signals growing tensions over fiscal austerity and rising living costs, raising the specter of further instability in Bayrou’s fragile administration.
