French Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s government faces a major test for its survival amid issues over approving a draft budget, as Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Alarm party said today the government had rejected its demands for more fiscal concessions. , raising the possibility of a no-confidence motion against the government in the coming days that could topple the already fragile government.

Today, Marine Le Pen told AFP that her French far-right party believed the government had effectively ended talks on budget concessions for the social security sector, with Le Pen threatening a vote of confidence in Parliament if the its demands on the budget.

The next few days could be decisive for the French government.

Just a few days ago, Barnier made a concession by canceling a tax increase on electricity. On Thursday, French Economy Minister Antoine Armand said he was prepared to make “concessions” in the draft budget in order to avoid the economic and fiscal “storm” he said would be caused if the government collapsed.

However, Le Pen demands new concessions. A motion of censure “is not inevitable” if Barnier agrees to negotiate with parliament on the draft, Le Pen herself stressed in Sunday’s edition of La Tribune newspaper.

Conservative Michel Barnier’s government, which was formed on September 21 after weeks of political crisis following snap parliamentary elections called by French President Emmanuel Macron, is particularly fragile.

Barnier recently reminded that France has debts of 3.2 billion euros and needs to cut spending.

The minority government has tabled an austerity budget. Next year, the government aims to save 60 billion. euro.

Tomorrow, Monday, the bill for the financing of social security will be submitted to the National Assembly.

Barnier has threatened to invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution – which allows a bill to be ratified without a vote in parliament – ​​an aggressive move which is almost certain to provoke a backlash.

However, this move puts the survival of the government at risk. Left and far-right parties could bring about the collapse of the government by jointly supporting a motion of no confidence.

GS