France's Political Struggle: A New Prime Minister for Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron is on the hunt for his fifth prime minister in less than two years, as opposition parties banded together to remove centre-right Prime Minister Francois Bayrou over his unpopular budget tightening initiatives.

Bayrou's nine-month tenure came to an end after a parliamentary confidence vote, prompting him to tender his resignation to Macron on Tuesday. The new prime minister will face the monumental task of unifying a fragmented parliament to tackle France's budget deficit, standing at nearly double the EU's 3% limit.

Eager to find a suitable replacement quickly, Macron's shortlist includes Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu, along with candidates from the centre-left or technocrat backgrounds. Amidst this political upheaval, national protests resembling the 'Yellow Vest' movement loom, threatening further instability.

(With inputs from agencies.)