French Prime Minister François Bayrou's government collapsed after losing a vote of confidence at the Assemblée Nationale on Monday, September 8. The vote confirmed the expected rejection of his budget plan and his government, dashing the centrist prime minister’s last hopes of survival.
Bayrou's fall raises several questions. Who will be the next prime minister? What options are available to the president? Is forming a new coalition possible, or will there need to be new elections?
How are day-to-day affairs handled after a government collapses?
Following the outcome of the confidence vote, Bayrou will be constitutionally obligated to present his government's resignation to French President Emmanuel Macron. However, Macron may ask ministers to temporarily remain in office to "ensure the continuity of the state and ensure that public services continue as usual," said Julien Boudon, a professor of public law at Paris-Saclay University and a constitutional expert. France has experienced this situation twice recently: once between July and September 2024, after Gabriel Attal's government resigned, and again in December 2024, after Michel Barnier's government fell.
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