Emmanuel Macron loses seventh PM in catastrophic confidence vote defeat
The Prime Minister will submit his resignation tomorrow morning
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Emmanuel Macron has seen his seventh Prime Minister dismissed as Francois Bayrou lost his confidence vote in the National Assembly.
France's National Assembly voted 364 to 194 to remove him from office and bring down his minority Government. Another 25 MPs abstained.
Mr Bayrou will now need to tender his resignation tomorrow morning.
Earlier today, Mr Bayrou called for unity as he attempted to win support for both his premiership and his plan to reduce France's public spending.
Pausing for sips of water as hecklers bellowed down at him, Mr Bayrou said: "Our country works, thinks it's getting richer, but keeps getting poorer."
He initially proposed cutting a staggering €44billion (£38.1billion) in spending in 2026.
His plan was heavily criticised by political rivals, with it including the removal of two public holidays.
Addressing the confidence vote, he said: "Our country has an urgent need for lucidity; it has the most urgent need for unity. But it is division that threatens to prevail, that threatens its image and reputation."
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Mr Bayrou lost the confidence vote 364 to 194
|REUTERS
Prominent French politician Marine Le Pen said: "This moment marks the end of the agony of a phantom Government."
She is pushing for a snap parliamentary election, which Mr Macron has so far ruled out.
President of the La France Insoumise group, Mathilde Panot, said: "Today is a day of relief for millions of French people, of relief over your departure."
Mr Macron could now nominate a politician from his own centrist minority ruling group or from the conservatives at the next premier.
Mr Bayrou seen leaving the French parliament after losing the confidence vote
|REUTERS
He could turn to the left and nominate a moderate socialist, or choose a technocrat.
The next Prime Minister will be the fourth one under Mr Macron in the last 12 months.
No scenario would be likely to hand the next Government a parliamentary majority.
Finance Minister Eric Lombard said that forming a new Government would likely weaken the deficit reduction plan before the vote.
Individuals react to the confidence vote outside parliament
|REUTERS
As well as the uncertainty amongst the Government, France is set to be battered by waves of protests.
The grassroots Bloquons Tout ("Let's block everything") movement, which has grown on social media, plans nationwide protests on September 10.
Two days after, Fitch Ratings will review France's credit rating with a downgrade possible if the crisis deepens.
On September 18, trade unions are due to hold strikes and protests.
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