Overview

• President Emmanuel Macron offered full support to François Bayrou and urged parties to act responsibly before the vote.
• Far-right and hard-left leaders said they will vote to bring the government down and rejected or boycotted Bayrou’s late bid for talks, with the Greens also expected to stay away.
• Unions escalated pressure with a left-backed shutdown called for September 10 and an inter-union strike day set for September 18.
• The draft budget targets about €43.8–€44 billion in savings, including scrapping two public holidays and freezing most welfare spending, which has drawn broad public and political opposition.
• A defeat would trigger the government’s resignation, leaving Macron to reappoint Bayrou, pick a new prime minister or dissolve parliament, as markets show unease and Bayrou warns snap polls would not bring stability.