Overview

• Prime Minister François Bayrou has set a Sept. 8 confidence vote in the National Assembly on his budget plan, a test he is expected to lose if nothing changes.
• Macron urged all parties to “assume their responsibilities” for stability and said he intends to serve his full term through 2027.
• A nationwide blockade is planned for Sept. 10, with hospitals and taxi drivers starting stoppages on Sept. 5 and further actions by air traffic controllers and pharmacies on Sept. 18, with pharmacies planning another protest on Sept. 27.
• Union strategies diverge, with the CGT and Solidaires backing the blockade while the CFDT and CFE-CGC reject a “block everything” approach and consider a separate protest on Sept. 18.
• Opposition leaders escalated pressure, as Jean‑Luc Mélenchon called for a general strike and set Sept. 23 for a motion to dismiss Macron, while Jordan Bardella urged either dissolution or resignation; if Bayrou falls, Macron must choose a new premier or dissolve the Assembly.