French President Emmanuel Macron has promised to serve out his term despite a high-stakes confidence vote on 8 September that could bring down his government and plunge the country into a new period of prolonged political and financial instability.
Macron has given his "full support" to French Prime Minister François Bayrou after his decision to call the 8 September confidence vote on budget policies, which risks toppling the government.
Bayrou's move has also raised questions for Macron, who has less than two years of his mandate left, with the hard left France Unbowed party 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 commitment I made to them," Macron told a press conference on Friday, as he hosted German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Macron said Bayrou was not facing "an insurmountable challenge" and called on political players to find "ways to agree" on his proposed budget.
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Bayrou, 74, wants to save about €44 billion, but his proposal to scrap two public holidays and freeze increases on public spending has angered many in France.
The PM has survived several no-confidence motions since he was appointed late last year thanks to abstentions from either the far-right National Rally or the Socialists. But both parties have said they will not support Bayrou on 8 September.
If he loses the vote, he must resign along with his entire government.
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 snap elections to break the political deadlock that has now dogged France for over a year.
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(with AFP)
