Editorial: El País

• The French government, led by François Bayrou, managed to secure the approval of a budget after weeks of uncertainty and negotiations.
• Bayrou won the abstention of the Socialist Party in two censure motions, putting the socialists in a tight spot having to choose between stability and their commitments with the leftist coalition Nuevo Frente Popular.
• The failure of the vote, promoted by La France Insoumise, was expected from the moment the far-right announced it would not back Bayrou's censure.
• The Socialist Party's decision to not support it has led to the first significant rift in the Nuevo Frente Popular coalition.
• The appointment of Bayrou, a centrist, represents a timid opening to the left with the likely hope of provoking the split that is now manifesting.
• Bayrou needs a chance not because he is more progressive than his predecessor, but because his government has more political weight and France needs a budget to stabilize its public accounts.

Conclusion: The break with the radicalism of Jean-Luc Mélenchon opens the hope that Macron's government may begin to count on socialist votes. However, Bayrou remains in a precarious position, still lacking a strong ally.

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