French government collapses, set for 5th PM in two years

The French government collapsed once again on Monday, setting up President Emmanuel Macron to appoint the country's fifth prime minister in less than two years.

Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a confidence vote, with 364 members of Parliament voting to remove him. Only 194 backed the retention of his government, Politico reported.

The path forward remains unclear as the appointment of a new prime minister would see them face the same composition of Parliament and the challenges of navigating a minority government.

The instability comes at a critical time for Macron, who has attempted to rally the European powers behind Ukraine amid Russian advances in the eastern part of the country.

He could theoretically call a snap election to change the composition of parliament, though polling has suggested it would yield a similar result.

Ben Whedon is the Chief Political Correspondent at Just the News. Follow him on X.