Nearly nine in ten French voters believe the recently installed government will collapse this year, while a majority want President Emmanuel Macron to resign.
Less than a month after being placed at the Hôtel Matignon, the French are already expecting the fall of François Bayrou’s government. According to an Odoxa-Backbone survey for Le Figaro86 percent think President Macron will have to appoint another prime minister this year.
Bayrou, a longtime neoliberal ally of Macron, was chosen in December to replace Michel Barnier after the National Assembly brought down his government as Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) joined forces with the New Front Popular Party (NFP) for a no vote of confidence, marking the first time in more than six decades that a Prime Minister was ousted by Parliament in France.
Bayrou’s government could face a similar end if it fails to reach a compromise within a deeply divided National Assembly on key issues, including the budget.
As France risks a credit rating downgrade and EU financial sanctions over its debt and deficits, former Prime Minister Barnier demanded 40 billion euros in tax hikes and reductions in social benefits. Le Pen’s opponents argued that higher taxes would hamper growth and exacerbate the problem.
Due to President Macron’s decision to call early legislative elections over the summer and his last-minute electoral deal with the far left to prevent Le Pen’s party from taking power in Parliament, the Assembly national is currently divided into three. , in which it is increasingly unlikely to find a majority to pass legislation.
Under the French Constitution, Macron does not have the right to call new elections until July. Currently, 50 percent of public opinion is essentially in favor of suspending the government until new elections.
However, even more people (61%) are in favor of a resignation of President Macron – an increase of 7% since September – which would trigger a presidential election. Macron has pledged to stay at the Élysée until the end of his mandate in 2027.
To alleviate some of the political pressure, Macron suggested in his New Year’s speech that he would be willing to put some issues directly to the public in national referendums. Although he did not indicate what issues could be put to a vote, Le Pen has long advocated for immigration to be the subject of a national referendum.
Yet there is deep skepticism about the government’s ability to honor the results of a referendum, with only 28% saying they trust Macron to implement the will of the people.
Follow Kurt Zindulka on X: Follow @KurtZindulka or by email to: kzindulka@breitbart.com
Breitbart News