The opposition on all sides of the spectrum have denounced the budget
\n PARIS
\nFrench far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen on Monday threatened to back a no confidence motion that could topple the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a standoff over the budget, saying after talks both sides were entrenched in their positions.
\nMonths of political tensions since right-winger Barnier became prime minister at the helm of a minority government appointed by President Emmanuel Macron in the wake of this summer\u2019s elections are coming to a head over the budget which has yet to be approved by parliament.
\nThe opposition on all sides of the spectrum have denounced the budget, prompting Barnier to consider brandishing the weapon of article 49.3 of the constitution which allows a government to force through legislation without a vote in parliament.
\nHowever, that could prompt Le Pen\u2019s far right National Rally (RN) to team up in an unholy alliance with the left-wing bloc in parliament and find enough numbers to topple the government in a confidence vote.
\nLe Pen entered the Matignon residence of the French premier for the breakfast meeting and was to be followed later in the afternoon by hard left France Unbowed (LFI) parliamentary party leader Mathilde Panot as Barnier seeks to hear voices across the board.
\n\u201cMy position has not changed. No more, it seems, than that (the position) of the prime minister has changed,\u201d Le Pen after meeting Barnier, describing him as \u201cat the same time courteous but also entrenched in his positions.\u201d
\nAsked if the RN would back a no confidence motion, she replied: \u201cOf course.\u201d
\nLe Pen downplayed the consequences of the budget being rejected, saying she did not believe \u201cin this notion that \u2018if this budget is rejected, if there is a no confidence motion, it will be dramatic, there will be chaos, etc\u2019.\u201d
\nFurther complicating the situation is the constitutional rule in France that there must be a one year gap between legislative elections, meaning that Macron cannot call polls until the summer to resolve the crisis.
\n\u201cMichel Barnier is creating the conditions for a vote of no confidence,\u201d RN deputy leader Sebastien Chenu said on Sunday.
\nBut he insisted that the move would not paralyze France and that Macron still had options, including resigning before his term ends in 2027, something the president has previously ruled out.
\n\u201cThe president has several options… reappoint the same prime minister, appoint a new prime minister, resign if he has no other solution, or call a referendum,\u201d he added.
\nGovernment spokeswoman Maud Bregeon had warned in an interview published in the Le Parisien daily that France risked a \u201cGreek-style situation\u201d if the government was brought down, referring to Greece\u2019s 2007-2008 financial crisis.
\nThe issue comes at a critical time for three-time presidential candidate Le Pen, who fancies having her best ever crack at the Elysee in polls due in 2027.
\nLe Pen, 56, and other RN defendants are currently on trial accused of creating fake jobs at the EU parliament which they deny.
\nIf convicted, she could receive a jail sentence and a ban from public office which would disqualify her from the presidential polls.
\nHer young lieutenant Jordan Bardella, 29, who is the RN party chief, is not among the accused and is seen by some as harboring his own presidential positions.
\nBaredella, who has just published his first book \u201cCe que je cherche\u201d (\u201cWhat I am Looking For\u201d), told French television last week that \u201cnot having a criminal record is, for me, rule number one when you want to be an MP.\u201d
\nWhile opponents dubbed him \u201cBrutus\u201d after the Roman politician who assassinated ex-ally Julius Ceasar, Le Pen denied any tensions with her protege, saying they had a \u201crelationship of trust.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The opposition on all sides of the spectrum have denounced the budget PARIS French far-right figurehead Marine Le Pen on Monday threatened to back a no confidence motion that could topple the government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier in a standoff over the budget, saying after talks both sides were entrenched in their positions. Months […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":445762,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-445742","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n