European equities fell for a second straight session on Tuesday as investors grew anxious over mounting political uncertainty in France and renewed questions about the U.S. Federal Reserve’s independence. The pan-European STOXX 600 slipped for the second day, logging its sharpest single-day drop in almost a month, while Paris’s CAC 40 lost 1.7%, extending its two-day slide to more than 3%. Long-dated sovereign bonds on both sides of the Atlantic also sold off as risk appetite eroded. Selling in France intensified after Prime Minister François Bayrou said he would seek a confidence vote on 8 September for his deficit-reduction programme. The three main opposition blocs have vowed to vote against the minority government, reviving fears of another no-confidence defeat less than a year after the previous cabinet was toppled. The political jitters widened the spread between French and German 10-year yields to its widest level since April and hit domestically exposed stocks hardest; Société Générale sank 6.8% and BNP Paribas fell 4.2%. Market sentiment was further dented by concern that President Donald Trump’s move to oust Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook could undermine the central bank’s autonomy. The attempt follows the earlier replacement of Governor Adriana Kugler and precedes critical policy decisions on interest rates. Analysts said the shake-up, together with France’s political schism, overshadowed a previously supportive shift in Fed rhetoric and prompted investors to pare risk across European markets.