The French President, Emmanuel Macron, has endorsed "the courage, audacity, and clarity" of his Prime Minister, the centrist François Bayrou, in the face of harsh criticism and the renewed threat of a motion of censure after announcing cuts of 43.8 billion euros in public spending for 2026, including freezing pensions and the elimination of two public holidays in France.
At the start of the cabinet meeting held this morning, Macron "thanked the Prime Minister, encouraged the Government, and reminded that the engine of our economy is undoubtedly growth," as stated by government spokesperson Sophie Primas during a press conference.
Macron has thus broken his silence of the past few hours while François Bayrou weathered the storm unleashed by his announcements alone, especially the elimination of public holidays on Easter Monday and May 8th (Victory in Europe Day), described as "a symbol of social violence" (Jean-Luc Mélenchon, leader of La France Insoumise) or as "an attack on our history and roots" (Jordan Bardella, president of National Rally).
Macron's words are seen as an unconditional alignment with his centrist Prime Minister despite the announcement of a motion of censure from right to left that could bring down his government on the eve of the official presentation of the budgets in the fall.
"Based on the current situation, the only possible perspective is censure," warned the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faure, who stated that Bayrou's proposals are part of "the continuous degradation of the past eight years with Emmanuel Macron's tax gifts."
For the deputy of La France Insoumise Aurélien Le Coq, "Bayrou has signed the death certificate of Macronism" with the presentation of the budget guidelines for 2026. "We are facing a catastrophic record, marked by an unprecedented increase in poverty and explosive unemployment," added Le Coq.
By endorsing Bayrou, who just two weeks ago survived the eighth motion of censure in seven months, Macron has addressed speculations about the growing distance between them, both sinking simultaneously in the polls. Macron himself demanded last week that Bayrou "control his ministers," following the plea from Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau to end subsidies for renewable energies.
Amid the summer storm in Paris, which dawned with gray skies on Wednesday, Macron departed for Lourdes to present a regional development plan. The president will be away from the capital for at least two days and on Thursday will wear the yellow jersey in the twelfth stage of the Tour de France at Hautacam in the Pyrenees.