French President Macron may move swiftly to replace Bayrou as Prime Minister if the current Prime Minister resigns or is removed.

In a bid to steer the nation through turbulent times, President Emmanuel Macron has appointed Sébastien Lecornu, the current Defense Minister, as the new Prime Minister. The appointment comes following the anticipated collapse of François Bayrou's government after a no-confidence vote, scheduled for Monday.

The new Prime Minister is tasked with navigating the challenges posed by a series of planned strikes, the first of which is set for September 18. This strike, which involves unions representing railway workers, air traffic controllers, Air France staff, and civil servants such as teachers, could potentially cause a paralysis of French transportation networks.

The strikes are a response to Bayrou's plans to cut €43.8 billion from next year's budget. The unions, many of which are France's biggest, believe these cuts will harm their members and the wider public.

The government is keen to have the new prime minister in place before September 18, in order to engage with the unions and potentially avert or mitigate the impact of the strikes. However, there are concerns that the strikes could continue beyond September 18 and 19.

An analysis by the Jean Jaurès Foundation suggests that online calls for a September 10 shutdown were driven largely by the radical left. Despite this, there is also a call for a nationwide shutdown on September 10, although government officials do not predict a massive turnout on that day, but expect potential violence.

Emmanuel Macron has expressed a desire to appoint a new prime minister quickly, in order to address the impending challenges facing France. The budget cuts, as proposed by Bayrou, are aimed at reducing France's budget deficit. However, government officials are concerned about the potential continuation of the strikes on September 19 and 20.

Alexandre Léchenet and Joshua Berlinger contributed to this report.