France faces Sept. 8 confidence vote on 44B euro austerity plan

France’s government is staking its parliamentary fate on a confidence vote scheduled for September 8, as Prime Minister François Bayrou seeks backing for a package of sweeping budget cuts designed to bring down a deficit that remains well above EU limits. With the government in a minority and opposition parties signaling they will not support the plan, the vote could trigger a collapse of the administration two days before planned street protests and raise questions about the country’s economic resilience and leadership.

Bayrou’s plan centers on a roughly 43.8 to 44 billion euro set of measures aimed at curbing the deficit while keeping the economy on a tighter fiscal path. Proposals include reducing the number of civil servants, introducing a solidarity contribution from the wealthiest households, pensions reforms, and overt efforts to boost productivity without raising taxes or VAT. A notable feature of the package is the proposal to scrap two public holidays, part of a broader strategy to recalibrate spending in 2026 to align with a 2025 baseline in certain areas. Bayrou has framed the measures as amendable and debatable, arguing that debt remains a question of sovereignty...