The Turbulent State of French Politics

Brussels (Brussels Morning) – France is in an unprecedented state of political paralysis, with a hung parliament and a fragile government. The 2027 presidential elections now seem like an unmissable event for all of Europe.

A government on the brink

France is experiencing its most severe political crisis of the 21^st century and the Fifth Republic, a deadlock that has persisted for the past nine months with no resolution in sight.

The legislative elections of 2024 resulted in a blank”>hung parliament, where no single party holds an absolute majority. The left-wing New Popular Front (NFP) has 182 seats, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Ensemble coalition holds 168 seats, and the far-right National Rally (RN) controls 143 seats, creating an impasse incompatible with France’s semi-presidential and bicameral system. This fractured political landscape has made governance nearly impossible, resulting in blank”>two government collapses and leaving the current administration in a highly unstable position.

Prime Minister Gabriel Attal blank”>resigned in July 2024 following the elections, and his successor, Michel Barnier, lasted only blank”>91 days before being ousted through a no-confidence vote in December 2024—the first successful one since 1962.

The current government, led by François Bayrou, narrowly blank”>survived two no-confidence motions recently, relying on temporary support from both the Socialist Party and the RN in the name of “national stability.” However, both parties have indicated they will withdraw their conditional backing once the blank”>2025 budget is fully implemented.

The 2025 budget, an essential measure that could not be postponed any further, was pushed through using blank”>Article 49.3 of the French Constitution—allowing the government to bypass parliamentary votes—highlighting the absence of a viable legislative majority. The fact that such a crucial piece of legislation failed to unite even two of the three main parties underscores the gravity of the situation.

Additionally, the economic outlook remains bleak, with GDP growth projected to slow to between 0.6% and 0.9% in blank”>2025 while the government deficit is expected to reach between 5.3% to 6.2% of GDP—well above EU limits.

Unsurprisingly, the EU has increased pressure on France to address its blank”>debt levels. Moody