“If the question is: Do we have confidence in this government? The answer is no, we don’t,” said Le Pen.
Bayrou is holding talks with parties from across the political spectrum this week, ostensibly to find common ground. After the prime minister unveiled his plans to hold a confidence vote last week, France’s political opposition quickly said they would vote to bring down his minority government, leaving the longtime centrist little hope of survival.
According to Le Pen, Bayrou already knows his government is toast.
“He chose to hit the eject button, and then lead consultations. If he really wanted to talk in earnest, he would have started negotiations as early as July,” she said.
Should Bayrou fall, it’s unclear how French President Emmanuel Macron will find a way out of deadlock. Opposition parties have shown little appetite for budget cuts necessary to balance France’s books and stave off growing concerns about runaway public spending in the eurozone’s second-biggest economy.
The French president has already started consultations on who might replace Bayrou as prime minister, according to several of his allies.
