The far-left La France Insoumise (LFI) party said they will call for an immediate vote of no confidence against the government of Prime Minister François Bayrou and expressed full support for the ‘Block Everything’ movement, planned for September 10th. In an opinion piece published in La Tribune Dimanche, LFI founder Jean-Luc Mélenchon urged the National Assembly to convene an extraordinary session as soon as possible in order to submit yet another motion of no confidence against the government.
On Saturday, Mélenchon and several LFI leaders called for Bayrou to be immediately dismissed and voiced their backing for the widespread protest action being organized online under the slogan “Bloquons tout!” (“Let’s block everything!”).
“We are calling for a determined offensive to bring down the government, with full mobilization of the people on the ground and an immediate motion of no confidence in Parliament,” wrote Mélenchon.
Mélenchon has been the de facto leader of La France Insoumise since it was established in 2016. He was a candidate in the 2017 French presidential election, but finished fourth with only 19.6% of the vote and did not make it to the second round.
Tensions have been simmering since mid-July, when the “Bloquons tout!” slogan first went viral on social media, encouraging a nationwide shutdown on September 10th. The trigger was Prime Minister Bayrou’s recent announcements of sweeping austerity measures: a €43.8 billion budget adjustment, a freeze on social spending, and the abolition of two public holidays, among other cost-cutting policies.
These measures have tapped into deeper, long-standing frustrations. Many French citizens feel they are being asked to make increasing sacrifices, while billions have been spent on mass immigration policies and subsidies that fail to benefit the native population.
The political backdrop only worsens the situation. After the early elections in 2024, President Emmanuel Macron lost his parliamentary majority. His fragile coalition has survived only through temporary agreements. Bayrou, one of the least popular figures in the Fifth Republic, barely survived his eighth no-confidence vote in July—thanks only to the abstention of Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National (RN).
LFI has now thrown its support behind the September 10th mobilization. “We urge everyone who shares our principles and our desire to end the Bayrou government to immediately join local groups supporting the movement and do everything possible to ensure its success,” said LFI leaders.
On various social media accounts—both long-established and newly created—supporters are circulating messages demanding a citizens’ initiative referendum, higher wages and pensions, and calling for “resistance,” voluntary quarantine, or even a general strike.
