France’s Political Turmoil: Snap Elections on the Horizon

By Dominique Vidalon and Ingrid Melander
PARIS (Reuters) – France’s far-right National Rally (RN) announced on Monday its preparations for potential snap elections, anticipating failure in Prime Minister Francois Bayrou’s efforts to save his government.

Opposition parties plan to attempt to bring down the minority government in a confidence vote scheduled for September 8. This was suddenly disclosed by Bayrou as he seeks to implement unpopular budget cuts for 2026.

To counteract this, Bayrou initiated discussions with opposition groups starting Monday. If he loses the vote, President Emmanuel Macron could either appoint a new prime minister, keep Bayrou as a caretaker, or call for snap elections. Macron had previously dismissed the idea of early elections.

Jordan Bardella, president of National Rally, stated, “We can and must be ready for anything, including a return to the ballot box with a dissolution of the National Assembly.” Bardella mentioned that 85% of the party’s candidates have already been selected in anticipation of parliamentary elections.

Marine Le Pen, a central figure in the RN, confirmed she would meet Bayrou on Tuesday, but noted that she expected no outcomes from the discussion.

In June last year, Macron called a snap parliamentary election that backfired, leading to a weakened position and a more fragmented parliament. Polls suggest that new elections could lead to another hung parliament, with RN likely gaining strength.

Le Pen faces a conviction for embezzling EU funds, barring her from running in upcoming elections. She has filed an appeal, but a decision may only come after next summer.

OPPOSITION STANDS UNITED AGAINST BAYROU

Bayrou was commencing talks with the Communist Party on Monday afternoon, followed by meetings with other parties throughout the week.

Olivier Faure, leader of the Socialist Party, declared their opposition to Bayrou as “definitive,” and the coalition of opposing parties has sufficient votes to topple the government.

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde expressed concern about the instability of France’s government, given the nation is the euro zone’s second-largest economy.

Following Bayrou’s announcement last week, French stock and bond markets experienced a steep decline but regained some stability by Monday.