Saralnama
French Prime Minister François Bayrou called a vote of confidence on 8 September over plans for deep budget cuts. Opposition parties from right to left said they will vote against him. Bayrou leads a minority government and warned France faces a serious budget deficit. Protests are planned across France to block the cuts. The stock market fell after the announcement. Finance Minister Eric Lombard said the government must prepare a recovery budget for 2026. Bayrou’s government is fragile and may collapse if he loses the vote. President Macron may then choose a caretaker government, a new prime minister, or call elections. Bayrou’s budget includes cutting two national holidays, which might be negotiable. His decision to call the vote surprised some ministers but was called courageous by the Justice Minister. (Updated 26 Aug 2025, 15:03 IST; source: link)