Sawt Falasteen - Bayrou resigns as French PM, Macron seeks successor

On Monday, Bayrou suffered a crushing loss in a confidence vote he had himself called, plunging France into fresh uncertainty and leaving Macron with the task of finding the seventh premier of his mandate.

The French president's office said in a statement that Macron "took note" of the outcome and would name a new premier "in the next days", ending any remaining speculation that the president could instead call snap elections.

Bayrou was seen by AFP correspondents arriving at the Elysee Palace to hand in his resignation and then leaving just over an hour later.

A source close to Bayrou, asking not to be named, confirmed he had submitted his resignation to Macron.

Bayrou remains in charge on a caretaker basis until a successor is named.

The French president has in the past been notoriously slow in "casting" a new prime minister.

But he is widely expected on this occasion not to procrastinate given the risk of financial and political instability.

"Emmanuel Macron is now in the front line to find a solution to the political crisis," said the Liberation daily.

France's borrowing costs, a measure of investor confidence, on Tuesday surged slightly higher than those for Italy, long one of Europe's debt laggards.

- 'Vulnerable' -

Bayrou had blindsided even his allies by calling a confidence vote to end a lengthy standoff over his austerity budget, which foresaw almost 44 billion euros ($52 billion) of cost savings to reduce France's debt pile.

In the end, 364 deputies in the National Assembly voted that they had no confidence in the government, while just 194 gave it their confidence.

Bayrou was the sixth prime minister under Macron since his 2017 election, and the fifth since 2022.

His predecessor, Michel Barnier, was brought down by a no-confidence vote in December.

The crisis dates back to summer 2024 legislative elections that resulted in a hung parliament.

"Emmanuel Macron, a vulnerable president," said the Le Monde daily.

- Critical juncture -

Macron, who has been leading diplomatic efforts internationally to end Russia's war on Ukraine, now faces one of the most critical domestic decisions of his presidency over who to appoint as premier.

The Socialist Party (PS) has expressed readiness to lead a new government but it is far from clear whether such an administration, led by a figure such as PS leader Olivier Faure, could survive.

If Macron opts for a centrist who enjoys his trust, the president could name a figure like Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, whose future is the subject of intense speculation.

Lecornu has been in his post more than three years, for most of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and is a staunch supporter of Kyiv. He is seen as a discreet but highly skilled operator who, crucially for Macron, himself harbours no ambition of becoming president.

Lower-profile options who could have a better chance of centre-left consensus include Health Minister Catherine Vautrin, Finance Minister Eric Lombard or parliament speaker Yael Braun-Pivet.

- 'Break with the politics' -

Alongside political upheaval, France is also facing social tensions.

A left-wing collective named "Block Everything" is calling for a day of action on Wednesday and trade unions have urged workers to strike on September 18.

"We need a prime minister very rapidly" as there should not be a "power vacuum" ahead of the protests on Wednesday, said Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who is also leader of the main right-wing The Republicans Party.

The 2027 presidential election meanwhile remains wide open, with analysts predicting the French far right will have its best-ever chance of winning. Macron is forbidden from standing for a third term in 2027.

The hopes of three-time presidential candidate for the far-right National Rally (RN), Marine Le Pen, depend on the outcome of an appeal hearing early next year over her conviction for a European Parliament fake jobs scam that disqualified her from standing for office.

RN leader Jordan Bardella told broadcaster RTL on Tuesday the party would move to bring down any government that does not "break with the politics of the last eight years" under Macron and reaffirmed a call for early legislative elections.

O.Farraj--SF-PST