Paris: what will Macron do after Bayrou's defeat?

Macron must come up with an acceptable compromise solution, and fast, Le Temps urges:

“Otherwise the country will plunge into an even deeper economic crisis out of which the president will be unable to extricate himself and which could cost him his office. ... Macron has his back to the wall. Now we will see whether he is capable of doing what he has been demanding of others for over a year: giving up key points in his programme in order to reach a compromise with his political opponents. Because only by acting together can the centrist parties pull France out of its current rut.”

The Berliner Zeitung sees France in a downwards spiral:

“It is hardly conceivable that Macron will appoint a left-wing prime minister this time round. He is far more likely to present a conservative head of government - in other words, repeat his mistake. But as Albert Einstein [allegedly] said, insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. ... Emmanuel Macron himself is responsible for this mess. So it would be logical for him to finally draw the consequences, resign and let the French people decide what to do next. But he won't. And so France will stagger on - with an uncertain outcome and a president who has long since reached his political expiry date and is dragging Europe into chaos.”

Berlingske proposes drastic measures:

“The logical choice for President Macron would be to appoint a prime minister from the largest faction in parliament, which is Marine Le Pen's party, the [right-wing populist] Rassemblement National. This would show that he is prepared to respect its voters and put the party to the test: will Marine Le Pen and her right-hand man Jordan Bardella be able to make the transition from protest to government? ... Alternatively, Macron should call a snap election - this time without putting up barricades to prevent a victory for the Rassemblement National.”

Writing in Le Monde, columnist Françoise Fressoz doubts that the political leadership will be able to steer France out of the crisis:

“The protests are directed not only at the government, which is more unpopular than ever, but also at the members of parliament, who are increasingly seen as privileged individuals who have failed to resolve the problem and are now trying to pin the blame on others. The distrust is also directed against the National Assembly, which has become a venue for heated and fruitless debates. The desire for a new beginning is spreading, but none of the current actors is in a position to guarantee a way out of the quagmire.”

In view of the lost vote of confidence in France and the advance of right-wing populist Nigel Farage in the UK, the outlook in the West is bleak, Dagens Nyheter warns:

“Do we understand how dangerous the situation in France - and the UK - really is? ... Donald Trump is already wreaking havoc in the White House. In a few years' time, Le Pen's right-hand man Jordan Bardella could move into the Élysée Palace, and Nigel Farage into 10 Downing Street. For over a century, Britain, France and the United States have been the three countries that formed the core of the West and were prepared to fight for freedom and democracy. Winston Churchill must be turning in his grave.”