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French government teeters after PM Michel Barnier forces through budget

Barnier has warned of the financial and political effects of unseating him, but Mathilde Panot, president of the LFI, said on Monday that “there will not be chaos once Mr Barnier and his government have gone”.

“We are now experiencing political chaos as a result of both Mr Barnier’s government and Emmanuel Macron’s presidency.”

Nathalie Oziol, an MP with the hard left France Unbowed, told the BBC’s Newshour programme, France was in a “deep, huge political crisis”.

“One sure thing is that this government has not led to any form of stability, that Macron’s politics have not led to any form of stability – and that has worsened in the last month,” the MP said.

If Barnier doesn’t survive Wednesday’s no confidence vote, he will remain in place as a caretaker prime minister until Macron announces a new government.

That could be a new majority government – unlikely given the splintering of the French parliament – or a technocratic government, to steer the country until new elections can be held next summer.

The process could take weeks, as it did after a snap general election delivered a hung parliament in summer.

Several parties are also clamouring for new presidential elections. As it stands, Macron is due to stay in post until 2027.

If the government does not survive the vote, the budget bill will fail too.

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