French MPs to vote on confidence in Michel Barnier's government this evening

(Patria) - French MPs will vote on confidence in the government this evening and will almost certainly topple Michel Barnier's fragile coalition, deepening the political crisis in the eurozone's second-largest economy.

It will be the first French government to be ousted by a confidence vote in more than 60 years, at a time when the state is trying to curb a massive budget deficit.

The debate is scheduled for 4 p.m., with the vote three hours later, parliamentary officials announced.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who is on an official visit to Saudi Arabia, will return to France on the same day.

After weeks of tensions, the political crisis reached its peak when Barnier, who has been prime minister for only three months, said he would try to push through part of the social security budget in parliament without a vote, after failing to secure support from the far-right National Rally (RN) party of politician Marine Le Pen.

Groups gathered around him and Le Pen, who had supported the minority government, are blaming each other and said they had done everything in their power to reach an agreement on spending cuts and were open to dialogue.

- Disapproving the budget is the only way the constitution gives us to protect the French people - Le Pen told reporters yesterday upon arriving in parliament.

- France is at a critical moment due to uncertainty over the state budget and the future of the government - Finance Minister Antoine Armand said yesterday.

Expectations that Prime Minister Michel Barnier's government would fall this week hit France's stock and bond markets, with its economy under pressure from a growing deficit.

- The country is at a crossroads - Armand said on France 2 TV, adding that politicians have a responsibility "not to push the country into uncertainty" by holding a confidence vote.

Unless something changes at the last minute, Barnier's fragile coalition will become the first French government to fall after a confidence vote since 1962.

The fall of the government would leave a hole in the heart of Europe, given that Germany is also preparing for elections, weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.

Barnier's budget, which seeks to curb the growing deficit through sharp tax increases and spending cuts, has faced opposition from far-left and far-right politicians.

The far-left and far-right together have enough votes to oust Barnier, and RN leader Marine Le Pen confirmed on Monday that she would support the left-wing coalition's motion for a confidence vote as well as her own motion.

- The French people have had enough - Le Pen said.

Without enough votes in parliament, Barnier will have to resign, but Macron could ask him to remain as head of a caretaker government while he searches for a new prime minister, which might not happen until next year.

In any case, no new snap elections can be held before July.

As for the budget, if parliament does not adopt it by December 20, a caretaker government could propose a special emergency law to continue with the same budget policy as this year. However, this would mean that the austerity measures planned by Barnier would fail.