France’s Macron vows to serve out term despite budget crisis
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French President Emmanuel Macron has less than two years of his mandate remaining.
PHOTO: AFP
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- Macron vows to serve out his term despite a political crisis over budget policies and calls for his resignation from the hard left.
- Prime Minister Bayrou faces a confidence vote on Sept 8 after proposing €44 billion in savings, fueling financial instability fears.
- If Bayrou loses the vote, he must resign, leading to potential scenarios including a new PM or early elections called by Macron.
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TOULON, France - French President Emmanuel Macron vowed on Aug 29 to serve out his term despite a political crisis over budget policies that on Sept 8 will see a confidence vote
Mr Macron has given his “full support” to French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou after his decision to call the confidence vote fuelled fears that France risks a new period of prolonged political and financial instability.
Mr Bayrou’s move has also raised questions for Mr Macron, who has less than two years of his mandate left, with the hard left calling on the president to resign – something he has always rejected.
“The mandate entrusted to me by the French people... will be served out until its end, in line with the committment I made to them,” Mr Macron told a press conference, as he hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Mr Macron said Mr Bayrou was not facing “an insurmountable challenge” and called on political players to find “ways to agree” on his proposed budget.
Mr Bayrou, 74, wants to save about €44 billion (S$65 billion), but his proposal to scrap two public holidays
Should Mr Bayrou lose the Sept 8 vote, he must resign along with his entire government.
Mr Macron could either reappoint him, select a new figure who would be the head of state’s seventh premier since taking office in 2017, or call early elections to break that political deadlock that has now dogged France for over a year. AFP
