France's embattled Prime Minister ousted in confidence vote as country faces deepening political crisis

The National Assembly voted by 364 votes to 194 to oust him as Prime Minister. Another 25 members abstained from the vote.

The result has triggered the collapse of his centrist minority government, prompting another period of political instability in the European Union's second-biggest economy.

He is set to tender his resignation to Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, the government confirmed.

Bayrou announced the vote unexpectedly just weeks ago, with many expecting him to be ousted because of his dwindling popularity and lack of political support.

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He said the vote is meant as a gauge of support for his controversial budget plans at the National Assembly, France's lower house of parliament.

The controversial plans include several spending cuts the prime minister claims are needed to save €44bn (£38bn) a year.

The situation is remarkably reminiscent of what happened in December last year, when a confidence motion triggered by budget disputes forced prime minister Michel Barnier to resign.

President Emmanuel Macron, who has vowed to stay in office until the end of his term due in 2027, now faces the complex task of appointing a new prime minister for the third time in a year.

But he seems to have a successor ready, as the Élysée Palace has confirmed that Emmanuel Macron will name a new PM 'in the coming days'.

But it will be difficult to convince the rest of the National Assembly to back a new Prime Minister.

The confidence vote took place against the backdrop of a fractured parliament, left in disarray after snap elections called by Macron in June did not result in an outright majority for any party.

While far-right Marine Le Pen was slated to win, the left-wing coalition New Popular Front (NFP) led by hard-left veteran Jean-Luc Mélenchon surged to win the most seats in the election.

Macron, in turn, was supposed to appoint a candidate suitable for parliament, which is normally someone from the party with the most votes, the left-wing NFP. He decided instead to appoint the conservative Bayrou, one of his earliest allies.

The 74-year-old has been in office since December, serving a prime ministerial term marked by chaos as France reckons with an ever-growing mountain of debt.

France's deficit hit 5.8% of gross domestic product last year, way above the official EU target of 3%.

After the vote, Macron has the choice to either pick a successor to serve as PM; call for new parliamentary elections; or call for a presidential election, which would see him forced to resign.

The first option - which he has seemingly chosen - is difficult, as the French parliament is divided into three groups: the left, the centre and far-right.

Neither faction is likely to accept a member of an opposing group to serve as Prime Minister, which could lead to another confidence vote.

He will also try to avoid calling for new parliamentary elections, as the far-right National Rally led by Marine Le Pen continues surging in the polls.

They are followed by the hard-left New Popular Front, and Macron wants to keep either party from gaining too much political ground.

The third option would mean him giving up the presidency, which he has vowed not to do until his term ends in 2027, despite pressure on him to do so from MPs.

Bayrou is expected to stay on as caretaker until Macron announces the new French Prime Minister, who will have a tough task ahead of them.