T
he crisis triggered by the fall of Prime Minister François Bayrou on Monday, September 8, is not the first the country has faced. Since the start of President Emmanuel Macron's first term, France has experienced a series of social and political shocks that have undermined the dominance of parliamentary majorities and rattled the workings of France's Fifth Republic – though without leading to a constitutional crisis. The Yellow Vests movement during the winter of 2018-2019 did not prevent the incumbent president's re-election three years later. However, it did contribute to eroding his legitimacy by highlighting the disconnect felt among segments of the working and middle classes faced with rising living costs and shrinking disposable income.
A spontaneous reaction to the rise in the carbon tax that would have driven up fuel prices, and escaping all political and union control, the Yellow Vests revolt also revealed the extent of the democratic divide. It gave rise to a strong demand for direct democracy, reflecting a growing sense that the representative system no longer spoke for many citizens.
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François Bayrou's nine months of crises as French PM
