New French PM aims to please all sides and avoid no-confidence vote

French Prime Minister François Bayrou set the tone for his government’s roadmap in a much-awaited key-policy speech on Tuesday in Paris. 

After days of negotiations with various political forces, Bayrou is hoping to achieve a delicate balance to obtain the left’s goodwill without antagonising his allies on the right.

To win over some left-wing MPs, Bayrou announced he is open to renegotiating some aspects of French President Emmanuel Macron’s highly unpopular pension reform passed in 2023. 

In return, Bayrou hopes this olive branch will win the support of some left-wing MPs to pass France’s 2025 budget plan. 

The newly appointed PM proposed to let trade unions and employers groups come up with a new deal on pension reforms. 

However, if a deal isn’t struck within three months, the current reform will still apply. 

The Socialist Party (PS), part of the New Popular Front (NFP) coalition with other left-wing forces, had previously voted down the budget plan in December along with far-right MPs, causing the fall of ex-PM Michel Barnier’s government. 

Therefore, the Socialists’ support as well as the far-rights’ is crucial for the survival of Bayrou’s fragile government. 

The hard-left party France Unbowed party (LFI) has already announced it will be filing a no-confidence motion against Bayrou’s government. The Green Party and the Communist Party also announced they will vote to topple Bayrou.

The no-confidence motion will be examined by the National Assembly on Thursday.

A total of 289 votes are needed to topple the government. 

Jordan Bardella, MEP and leader of the far-right National Rally party, posted on X (former Twitter): “At the end of a soporific speech, François Bayrou demonstrated that he was not the man to break with the past, but rather the man of sluggish continuity, chatter and ‘endless’ discussions.”

Jean-Philippe Tanguy, a far-right MP, said his party will not be voting to topple Bayrou just yet.

“We can reserve the right to vote on budgetary acts (…). We’re waiting for the actions,” he said to a group of reporters.

France’s debt is “a sword of Damocles”

In his speech, Bayrou promised to tackle the country’s debt which he compared to a “Sword of Damocles” hanging over France. 

The head of government said he intends to set the public deficit target for 2025 at 5.4% of GDP.

The deficit reached more than 6% last year, more than twice the level allowed by the European Commission.

The speech comes after a tumultuous year for French politics after Macron shocked the country by announcing snap elections after his party lost to the far-right in the EU elections in June 2024. 

The rushed legislative elections ended with a fragmented lower house of the parliament with none of the three blocs obtaining a clear majority.

According to the French Constitution, Emmanuel Macron cannot call for early elections before July 2025.