Bayrou Thrives Where Barnier Failed
What Lies Ahead as France Gets the 2025 Budget Approved?
A victory for strategic consensus or a recipe for more acrimony ahead? On Wednesday, February 5, the French National Assembly rejected two motions of censure from La France Insoumise (LFI) after a heated debate following Centrist Prime Minister François Bayrou’s use of Article 49.3 of the French Constitution to bypass parliamentary vote and expedite the passage of the budget.
This outcome is indeed a significant achievement for the government, particularly for Bayrou, who has successfully overcome what Barnier, his predecessor from the Republican Party, failed to do. The rejection of the motions ensures that both the State budget (PLF) and the Social Security budget (PLFSS) are officially adopted.
Bayrou’s victory comes at a critical period in French politics, as the country has been grappling with a range of economic challenges and uncertainty. The approval of the 2025 budget provides immediate relief, but what’s next for Bayrou and the government? With rising public debt, slower economic growth, and soaring unemployment, can he secure economic stability after making several compromises on highly controversial issues? Or should France brace up for a new prime minister, as the prospect of doom seems ever so evident?