- French Prime Minister François Bayrou is widely expected to lose a confidence vote he has called, which would make him the third prime minister to go in 12 months.
- The vote was initiated by Bayrou to secure the 2026 budget, which includes €44bn (£38bn) of spending cuts and tax hikes aimed at reining in the country's spiralling deficit and debts.
- Key opposition parties, including the National Rally and the Socialist Party, have pledged to vote against Bayrou, with some expressing relief at the prospect of his government falling.
- If Bayrou loses, President Emmanuel Macron will face choosing his fifth prime minister in less than two years, or dissolve the lower house and call early elections, an option he has rejected.
- The anticipated fall of the government highlights France's ongoing political instability and the challenges of managing its high public spending and national debt, which stands at almost 114 per cent of its GDP.
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