Opposition accuses French president of fueling debt crisis as PM Bayrou faces confidence vote.

On Monday, the France Unbowed (LFI), the third largest party in the National Assembly, demanded that President Emmanuel Macron resign along with his prime minister, François Bayrou, who faces a confidence vote.

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“The president does not want to change his policies, so we will have to change the president,” declared LFI parliamentary leader Mathilde Panot, who blamed France’s severe economic troubles on Macron’s policies.

“The reckless speculations of the so-called ‘Mozart of finance’ have cost us an additional trillion in debt,” she said, referring to the increase in external debt, and warned that every prime minister who tries to “save” the president “will fall.”

“History will record how that greedy oligarchy denies ordinary people the chance to enjoy life,” Panot said, addressing Bayrou directly.

“For you, the future does not exist because you belong to the past. Unpopular, in the minority and hated, Macronism governs only through fear,” she said indignantly.

Panot also sent a veiled message to the Socialists, who have put themselves forward to govern, stating that there will be “no Unbowed ministers” in the current political configuration.

Meanwhile, Macron’s party criticized the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Bayrou and opposition calls for early elections. Macron’s allies urged lawmakers to reach “a general interest agreement” until the presidential elections in 18 months.

“Bringing down the government only adds instability to France,” said Gabriel Attal, president of the Together for the Republic group, who complained that “some pursue scorched-earth politics and put their own interests ahead of the French people’s.”

In his view, French politics is “sick with red lines” that produce “permanent deadlock.” He criticized those calling for new elections—after early legislative elections were already held in summer 2024—because they actually believe “the French voted wrong at the time.”

“It is not the French who must fix Parliament’s problems; it is Parliament that must fix the problems of the French,” Attal said.

He insisted that the priority now is not early elections but approval of the 2026 budget. He repeated that if the budget is not passed, “the risk of paralysis” will emerge, and that is “an existential risk we cannot afford.”

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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