French Prime Minister François Bayrou has ignited a political storm by blaming the post-war baby-boom generation for driving France’s public debt to record levels. In an interview on TF1 on 27 August, the 74-year-old centrist said borrowing had been piled up “for the comfort of the boomers”, forcing younger French citizens to shoulder repayment costs “their whole lives”. The remarks have provoked a chorus of criticism across the political spectrum and in the media. Opposition figures from Marine Le Pen’s National Rally to Jean-Luc Mélenchon’s France Insoumise, as well as conservative commentator Philippe de Villiers, accused Bayrou of stigmatising retirees and deflecting attention from his government’s fiscal record. Mayors and MPs from the governing coalition also distanced themselves, warning against setting generations against one another. Bayrou’s comments come as his minority government faces a confidence vote on 8 September amid pressure to plug a projected €44 billion budget gap for 2026. France’s debt stands at roughly €3.35 trillion, or 113 % of GDP, while the deficit is near 6 % of output and annual interest payments are forecast to top €66 billion this year. By casting responsibility on older voters, Bayrou hopes to build support for spending cuts and new revenue measures. Instead, the strategy risks alienating a powerful electoral bloc ahead of a test that could topple the cabinet and deepen uncertainty over how— or whether— France will rein in the largest budget shortfall in the euro area.