France faces another political crisis as Prime Minister Francois Bayrou is expected to be voted out of office by parliament, which would make him the second head of government toppled in less than a year.
The 74-year-old centrist initiated the surprise confidence vote himself, seeking to shock politicians into agreeing on measures to tackle France's looming debt crisis, which he described as a 'terribly dangerous period.' However, with all opposition parties and even some MPs in his own centre-right alliance set to vote against him, Bayrou appears resigned to his fate.
The crisis stems from President Emmanuel Macron's surprise decision last year to call snap parliamentary elections, which resulted in a deadlocked parliament more poisonously divided than in decades.
Marine Le Pen, parliamentary leader of the hard-right National Rally party, accused Bayrou of committing 'political suicide' and declared France 'the sick man of Europe.' Speculation suggests Macron might try to appoint a Socialist prime minister capable of building an alliance between the left and centre, though this would represent a significant reversal of his business-friendly agenda.
The 74-year-old centrist initiated the surprise confidence vote himself, seeking to shock politicians into agreeing on measures to tackle France's looming debt crisis, which he described as a 'terribly dangerous period.' However, with all opposition parties and even some MPs in his own centre-right alliance set to vote against him, Bayrou appears resigned to his fate.
The crisis stems from President Emmanuel Macron's surprise decision last year to call snap parliamentary elections, which resulted in a deadlocked parliament more poisonously divided than in decades.
Marine Le Pen, parliamentary leader of the hard-right National Rally party, accused Bayrou of committing 'political suicide' and declared France 'the sick man of Europe.' Speculation suggests Macron might try to appoint a Socialist prime minister capable of building an alliance between the left and centre, though this would represent a significant reversal of his business-friendly agenda.
