Overview

• French Prime Minister François Bayrou has called a confidence vote for September 8 that he is widely expected to lose, putting the government on the brink of collapse.
• President Emmanuel Macron says he will not resign and must choose between naming a new prime minister or dissolving the National Assembly if Bayrou falls.
• France’s debt stands around 114% of GDP (roughly €3.3–3.4 trillion) and borrowing costs have risen toward Italian levels, intensifying scrutiny of its fiscal trajectory.
• Bayrou’s 2026 plan targets about €44 billion in savings, including scrapping two public holidays, which has triggered protests and a September 10 call to mobilize by the “Bloquons tout” movement.
• In Germany, CDU General Secretary Carsten Linnemann is pressing an ‘Agenda 2030’ with tougher Bürgergeld rules, a cabinet session focused solely on cutting bureaucracy, and an ‘Aktivrente’ proposal, while SPD minister Bärbel Bas rejects a full benefits cutoff and cites the duty to guarantee a subsistence minimum as a dbb poll reports 73% public distrust in state problem‑solving.