Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s far-right National Rally party, has issued a last-minute ultimatum to Prime Minister Michel Barnier, demanding that he negotiate a budget deal with her party to prevent his minority government from being toppled this week. According to The Times, Le Pen has warned that if Barnier does not soften the planned €60 billion in budget cuts, her MPs will vote for a motion of no confidence, potentially leading to the collapse of his government.
In an interview with La Tribune Dimanche on Sunday, Le Pen stated that it was “not inevitable” her party would back a no-confidence motion. “All Mr Barnier has to do is agree to negotiate,” she said. “If he doesn’t want to do that, he is the one who is taking the decision to trigger a vote of no confidence.” Le Pen’s comments come after two weeks of ongoing negotiations with Barnier’s conservative government, which she claims have failed to make significant progress.
The standoff between the two escalated further on Sunday when Le Pen accused the government of rebuffing her demands. She said, “This puts an end to discussions,” following a statement by Budget Minister Laurent Saint-Martin that the government would not make the changes to the budget her party had requested.
With a vote to oust Barnier’s government possible as early as Wednesday, the stakes are high. If parliament rejects the government’s social security budget on Monday, Barnier could push the budget through by decree. This would allow opposition parties, including the National Rally, to call a confidence vote 48 hours later. Should Le Pen’s party join forces with left-wing parties in voting against the government, Barnier’s administration would almost certainly fall.
The government has warned that France could face a debt crisis similar to Greece’s if the budget is not passed, citing tax increases and drastic spending cuts needed to address the country’s growing deficit, which exceeds 5% of GDP. In an effort to avoid the standoff, Barnier has already made concessions, such as scrapping a planned increase in electricity taxes. However, Le Pen is pushing for further changes, including a reduction in France’s contributions to the European Union, scrapping proposals to delay linking pension increases with inflation, and stopping reimbursements for certain drug costs.
Le Pen’s ultimatum also comes at a politically sensitive time, as she faces a court verdict in March over allegations of embezzling up to €4.5 million in EU funds. If convicted, she could be barred from holding political office for five years, effectively ruling her out of the 2027 presidential race.
The ongoing political turmoil in France follows the chaotic results of the July snap elections, which left parliament divided into three factions, none of which hold an absolute majority. President Emmanuel Macron appointed Barnier as prime minister in September in an attempt to stabilize the situation and navigate the difficult political spectrum.
