In the wake of French Prime Minister François Bayrou's announcement of a new confidence vote on his debt-cutting plan early next month, France 24's Antonia Kerrigan weighs the most likely outcomes the decision could incur and what they could mean for President Emmanuel Macron's government.

Paris

French Prime Minister François Bayrou has announced a confidence vote in his government, following difficulties in gaining majority backing for an austerity budget. The opposition, including both left and far-right lawmakers, has indicated its intention to vote against Bayrou, making the government's fall likely unless there is a significant change in support.

This would mark the third change in France's premiership since the previous year's snap elections, with President Macron potentially facing the decision to appoint another prime minister or call for new elections. The radical left has also filed a motion to depose President Macron, although such motions have historically failed to progress.

French PM Bayrou to face confidence vote on September 8

Unable to garner majority support for an austerity budget, François Beyroux has called the parliament's bluff, calling a confidence vote in his own government for the 8th of September. And as the left and far right gear up to topple him, his appeal was to the public. In the 13 days ahead, the French people will choose. They will influence their elected representatives to decide whether they position themselves on the side of chaos or on the side of conscience and responsibility. But opposition lawmakers have made their intentions clear. So short of a miracle, the government will fall and the president will be faced with a quandary. The last time a government was toppled in France, last December, President Macron appointed a new prime minister from his own political camp to form a new government. But this will be France's third premier since last year's snap elections. And without a change in parliamentary arithmetic, another prime minister from the centre-right would likely face the same problems down the line. And in the past, President Macron has refused to choose a prime minister from the left. The president may, then, feel he has no choice but to call snap elections and hope for more favourable results. When there's a very major conflict between the assembly and the executive, dissolution comes at a heavy cost for the country. But you can't rule out this option. Even if the last time President Macron tried this, his governing minority came back weakened. The radical left, France unbowed, meanwhile, have filed a motion to depose the president. The chaos is Macron. He needs to be deposed. But no such motion has ever got off the starting blocks.

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