French Prime Minister Faces Ouster Amid Budget Crisis
French Prime Minister François Bayrou’s minority government is poised to collapse early next month as opposition parties prepare to challenge his proposal to cut the national budget by nearly €44 billion, reports 24brussels.
Following snap elections last summer, which resulted in a hung parliament, President Macron has struggled to persuade lawmakers to undertake the coalition-building essential for effective governance—a practice that is commonplace in parliamentary democracies like Italy and Germany, but remains elusive in France.
When questioned about the potential for Bayrou’s removal to trigger another parliamentary dissolution and new elections, Macron dismissed the notion as “fictional politics” and confirmed he would not step down.
More Support for Ukraine
During talks on Friday, Macron and German politician Merz emphasized their commitment to increasing assistance for Ukraine amidst ongoing massive Russian strikes, which have further undermined the credibility of President Vladimir Putin’s claim for peace.
The French president disclosed that leaders from the “coalition of the willing”—comprising Western nations focused on providing security guarantees for Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire—would engage in a phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump over the weekend and convene next week.
Moreover, Macron indicated that should a meeting between Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy fail to materialize by Monday, as requested by Trump, it would signify that “President Putin has played President Trump.”
