Overview

• The National Assembly rejected the confidence motion by 364 votes to 194 after Bayrou’s policy speech, ending his nine months at Matignon.
• Bayrou had invoked Article 49.1 to stake his government on a €43.8–44 billion savings plan for 2026, marking the first time a prime minister has been ousted after using this procedure.
• Bayrou must now submit his resignation to the president, and the cabinet will handle only routine affairs until a successor is appointed.
• Opposition parties on the left and the Rassemblement National voted against confidence, Les Républicains granted their deputies a free vote, and calls range from dissolution to a cross‑party ‘accord d’intérêt général.’
• The defeat derails the 2026 budget timetable and heightens uncertainty for markets, with analysts warning of economic risks, a Fitch decision expected Friday, and protest actions scheduled this week.