Media: France on brink of new political crisis

France is once again on the brink of a political crisis in connection with the upcoming vote of confidence in Prime Minister François Bayrou in the National Assembly, Report informs referring to the French media.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou, using Article 49.1 of the Constitution, unexpectedly decided to put the question of confidence in his government to a vote in parliament on September 8.

The government does not have a parliamentary majority, and the vote procedure is traditionally used only by those who have support in the National Assembly.

Therefore, Bayrou's initiative looks "suicidal", which, according to experts, could lead to the resignation of the government. Instead of a classic declaration on policy, the prime minister proposed to present to the deputies a certificate on the grave state of France's national debt.

According to media estimates, this is an overly free interpretation of the constitution, since Article 49.1 requires the government to present a program or a general political declaration.

According to French experts, the "strategy of the center" that Bayrou and French President Emmanuel Macron are following has resulted in a crisis. In the context of a three-polar party system, this approach has proven ineffective: "the probable rejection of the vote of confidence will be a direct consequence of this line, leaving France on the threshold of new political turbulence."

The media note that if the government is subject to a vote of no confidence, and such a development is considered very likely, Bayrou is expected to resign. In this case, according to experts, Macron intends to very quickly present a candidate for a new prime minister so as not to aggravate the crisis.