The outcome of this no confidence vote can be traced back to President Emmanuel Macron's decision to call a snap parliamentary election in June 2024.

The results showed voters had edged toward the extremes and left Macron with a weakened and divided minority centrist government - making it a challenge for any prime minister to garner support to pass bills.

In September, Macron appointed Michel Barnier as prime minister but he was ejected after just three months.

The current makeup of the French National Assembly shows far right Marine Le Pen's National Rally and its allies hold the most seats with 138.

Behind them is President Macron's centrist alliance, Ensemble, with 91 seats. Followed by left-wing parties France Unbowed and the Socialists and allies.

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

Image source, Reuters

"Bayrou wanted a moment of truth, and I reckon he's got it," said Mathilde Panot of the radical-left France Unbowed party, also known as LFI.

LFI's leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon says the spotlight should now fall on President Emmanuel Macron.

And, while Macron says his next move will be to name a new prime minister, the firebrand LFI leader believes "Macron is now on the front line facing the people. He too must go".

Macron won't go, and certainly won't listen to Mélenchon.

Two other parties on the left, the Greens and Socialists, believe it's their turn to run the country. Marine Tondelier from the Greens has called on Macron to listen to left-wing leaders before naming the next PM.

But Marine Le Pen, whose far right National Rally is leading in the polls, believes he should call parliamentary elections instead.

Dissolving parliament isn't a "whim," she says, "it's an institutional lever to break the deadlock and enable democracy to function".

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

Image source, EPA

Although foretold, the result of today's vote places renewed pressure on Emmanuel Macron.

Many feel he bears responsibility for the current deadlock, sparked by his decision to hold a snap election in June 2024 which resulted in a hung parliament.

This political crisis played out among parlamentarians in the Assemblée Nationale but now the spotlight will again be on the president, who will need to choose a new name to head a shaky government coalition that has no guarantee of surviving the coming hurdles.

According to the Elysée palace, Macron will reveal his appointee in a "matter of days".

If previous salient moments in French politics are anything to go by, we can also expect Macron to address the French soon with a televised speech.

President Emmanuel Macron will appoint a new prime minister in a "matter of days", the Elysée Palace says.

The statement confirms Macron will meet Prime Minister François Bayrou on Tuesday to accept the resignation of his government.

Image source, Reuters

Marc Fesneau of the Democratic Movement, Bayrou's party, has just given a quick statement reacting to French prime minister's ousting.

He says "we have to find the ways and means to solve the problems" adding French people "don't want a debate... they want us to work for them. We have to find ways to compromise and find common ground".

He says he hopes the Democratic Movement party can build something "without the extremes".

"There are people who want chaos, who want to block economic activity, that won't allow the country to get out of an economic crisis. That is not our position, we are for responsibility and truth," Fesneau says in front of a large press pool.

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

Image source, Reuters

As Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet announced the result of Bayrou's defeat, MPs applauded loudly and the outgoing prime minister sat stony-faced.

"The National Assembly has not approved [the PM's] general policy statement," she said, adding that under the constitution "the prime minister has to submit the resignation of the government to the president of the republic".

Bayrou walked out of parliament and he was then driven the short distance to the prime minister's Paris residence at the Hôtel Matignon, followed by TV cameras perched on the back of motorbikes.

A familiar scene in French politics, just like Bayrou's trip across Paris to the Élysée Palace where he'll hand in that resignation to Emmanuel Macron.

In his final words to MPs before the vote, Bayrou insisted the past nine months spent as prime minister had been a period of "profound happiness" because, despite everything, his government had worked with great solidarity and friendship without "a single crisis and a single tension".

Image source, Reuters

Although François Bayrou's defeat was expected, the numbers are surprising - according to political analyst Alexandre Kouchner.

"It means that even from within the central coalition, probably from the conservatives - Les Républicains - some MPs voted against Bayrou," he tells BBC News.

"This means that within the presidential coalition there are already clear cracks and divides, which sort of muddies the water even more," Kouchner continues.

The result of the vote doesn't resolve the two main problems, Kouchner says, which is an end to France's hung parliament or its ongoing debt crisis.

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

Image source, Reuters

Francois Bayrou now has to present Emmanuel Macron with the resignation of his government, which according to French media he will do tomorrow morning.

Macron now has several options - none of which he will find particularly appealing.

• He can pick a new prime minister. Choosing a name that will not be immediately shot down by one of the large parliamentary factions may not be an easy feat and last year the process took Macron several weeks. Meanwhile, Bayrou will likely stay on as caretaker until a new successor is appointed
• Macron could also call a new parliamentary election. This would shake the current composition up but may result in an even more decisive victory for the Marine Le Pen's far right National Rally (FN)
• Macron also has the option of calling a presidential election - in which he would not be able to run, as his second term is due to end in 2027. Some parliamentary groups have been calling for him to take this route, but he has repeatedly ruled out stepping down

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

Image source, Reuters

It's been clear for weeks that Bayrou was heading for defeat. Today's vote, confirmed by Assembly President Yaël Braun-Pivet, was really just a formality.

Bayrou's speech at the start and end of the debate in the National Assembly, with contributions from all the political leaders in parliament, felt like a funeral procession for his minority government.

Marine Le Pen, the leader of National Rally, even spoke of the "end of the agony of a phantom government", while the Greens said it would have been almost satisfying but for the worry of what comes next.

There is at the heart of Bayrou's defeat a genuine political crisis now, because after nine months of relative calm, France is back where it was last December with the fall of his predecessor Michel Barnier.

Bayrou twice used the French phrase "tohu-bohu" for the turmoil facing France. He may have lost, but the enormous pile of debt he highlighted and tried to solve remain. And President Emmanuel Macron has to pick up the pieces.

French Prime Minister François Bayrou has lost the vote of confidence he called in his government.

France's National Assembly has voted by 364 votes to 194 to eject him from office and bring down his minority government. Another 25 MPs abstained.

We'll bring you the latest developments and reaction - stick with us.

Image source, EPA

While we wait for the results of a confidence vote in the French prime minister, let's take a look at what parliamentary leaders said during the debate a little earlier.

• Leader of the right-wing Republicans in the Assembly Laurent Wauquiez says he'll vote in support of Bayrou, albeit "without enthusiasm"
• The Socialists' Boris Vallaud has said the only person to blame for France's crisis is President Macron
• Cyrielle Chatelain, leader of the Greens in the Assembly, told the PM that his departure "is a relief"
• Leader of the far right National Rally Marine Le Pen said "change cannot wait any longer" and called for fresh elections
• Mathilde Panot of the far left France Unbowed called Bayrou and Macron "a danger for the country"

After statements from Prime Minister François Bayrou and parliamentary leaders, it's time for the National Assembly to vote.

It's expected to take 30 minutes. The result should be disclosed just before 18:00 BST.

We'll be here with the result as soon as it comes in, so stick with us.

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

Image source, EPA

Now that parliamentary leaders have spoken, French Prime Minister Bayrou is responding.

In brief remarks, he says he will not address the "insults" he has received today and thanks his colleagues for their work since he was appointed prime minister at the start of the year.

He says the last nine months have been characterised by "profound joy" because of the team he managed to assemble - and thanks all his ministers for the cooperation and the work they have done together. It's difficult not to feel that even he does not believe he will survive tonight's vote.

Image source, EPA

Mathilde Panot of the far left France Unbowed (LFI) was the penultimate speaker today.

She accuses François Bayrou and Emmanuel Macron of making up a "preying oligarchy which will not allow to enjoy their lives".

"You are a danger for the country," Panot says, before confirming that her group will be voting against Bayrou this evening. "All those who will try to save Macron will fall with him," she concludes.

All opposition leaders have now spoken in the National Assembly and all have ruled out support for the prime minister.

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

Image source, Getty Images

The main reason France has reached this impasse is that there are three big groups in parliament and none of them has been able to find a majority in the National Assembly. But latest opinion polls suggest Marine Le Pen's National Rally and her allies are ahead in the polls now with 33% of the vote.

Naturally, she would benefit most if Macron called parliamentary elections now, which is one of the options he will have when Bayrou loses the vote of confidence this evening.

Le Pen also has designs on the presidency. Le Pen has stood for the presidency three times already, losing twice to Emmanuel Macron, and has her best chance yet in the next presidential vote, due in 2027.

That's only if she's able to overturn or reduce an embezzlement conviction that bars her and party colleagues from standing for public office for five years.

Le Pen's hope of running was given a boost earlier today when a court in Paris said her appeal would start on 13 January and run for about five weeks, with a verdict a few months later. If she does succeed in overturning the ban, Le Pen could stand for the presidency for a fourth time, and might even win.

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

Image source, Reuters

A combative Marine Le Pen has taken the stand.

The leader of the far right National Rally (RN) says today marks "the end of the agony of a phantom government". To thunderous applause from her ranks she blames both right and left-wing politicians "responsible" for the "collapse" of the country.

She criticises opposing political forces that bandied together at the last election as part of a tactical voting strategy to keep her party out of government, and calls for the French to be called to the polls again.

Le Pen adds that, while Macron could again choose to appoint a prime minister, the new government would likely still not be able to pass a budget.

"That choice would mark the institutional stagnation of the country," Le Pen says, accusing the president of "blocking" the country if he chooses not to dissolve parliament.

"Change cannot wait any longer," she ends, as her MPs give her a standing ovation.

The possible runners and riders to replace Bayroupublished at 16:29 British Summer Time

16:29 BST

Hugh Schofield
Paris correspondent

If Bayrou falls, pressure will be strong on President Macron to name a prime minister from the left. After all, the last two nominees (Barnier and Bayrou) were from the right and centre, and a left alliance came out numerically top in the 2024 election.

As head of the Socialist Party (PS), Olivier Faure would be one possibility. The 57 year-old has a group of 66 deputies in the National Assembly.

Half-Vietnamese by birth, he is a modest and moderate figure who has spent his life in Socialist politics. His main handicap is the party’s troubled relationship with the far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

That is why Macron might turn to a personality who identifies broadly with the Socialists, but is not necessarily of their ranks. Two such figures are the former prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve, and the veteran ex-minister Pierre Moscovici, currently head of the Cour des Comptes (the official accounting office).

Another intriguing possibility is the current finance minister Eric Lombard, who although by trade a banker is known for his social-liberal leanings.

If Macron decides to stick with the centre and right, his first choice would probably be the defence minister Sebastien Lecornu.

The 39 year-old was in the running last December before the nomination of François Bayrou. He is said to be close to President Macron, who has given him the task of building up French military capabilities.

A political conservative, Lecornu was a member of the Gaullist UMP party and its successor the Republicans (LR). He left to join Macron’s party when the president was first elected in 2017.

Another conservative whose name has been mentioned is the current minister of labour and health Catherine Vautrin.

Two other possibilities from inside government are Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, who now leads LR, and Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin.

But with all eyes on the 2027 presidential election, would these heavyweights want the electoral kiss-of-death which is to be Macron’s next PM?

Image source, Reuters

François Bayrou is planning on handing in his resignation to President Emmanuel Macron tomorrow morning if he's defeated in this evening's confidence vote, French media reports.

As a reminder, the collapse of Bayrou's government is all but certain as a majority of MPs from both the far right and the left have already indicated they will cast their vote against him.

In France, the president (Emmanuel Macron) is the head of state, elected by the French public. The president is in charge of the country's foreign policy and defence, and representing France on the international stage.

The prime minister (François Bayrou) is the head of government, appointed by the president. The PM is in charge of day-to-day governing. The PM answers to parliament, and must be approved by them. Parliament can also vote to oust the PM.

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

Image source, BERTRAND GUAY/AFP

The Socialists have said they won't back Bayrou, and on the far right the National Rally have said so too, telling him they only way out of the current impasse is new parliamentary elections.

But some of the most trenchant criticism of Bayrou has come from the Greens whose Cyrielle Chatelain has attacked the prime minister's record in office and his "harmful lies".

As Bayrou shook his head, Chatelain told him: "Your departure is a relief. If it weren't for the worry of what comes next, it would be almost satisfying."

She's calling for a government of the left to ditch austerity and replace it with what she calls "fiscal justice". It's not a question of changing the face of the government, but of changing course.