The French government may be about collapse, after Prime Minister Michel Barnier forced through the first part of his budget without a vote in the National Assembly.Mr Barnier, the EU's former chief Brexit negotiator, had to employ Article 49.3 of the French constitution, to get his controversial plan for spending cuts and tax hikes through.In response to being sidelined by the PM, under the French system lawmakers are able to pursue "censure" - otherwise known as a vote of no confidence - against him.The 73-year-old could be out of his post within 48 hours, with the radical left New Popular Front effectively teaming up with hard right National Rally, the party of Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella, to oust him.The votes are expected to take place on Wednesday as the French Constitution states that a vote of no confidence can only happen 48 hours after it is officially called for.Mr Barnier, a member of the centre-right Republican party, which took a beating during the summer's Assembly elections, was appointed by Mr Macron to get the French economy out of the mire.Since Covid, the country's deficit to GDP ratio has soared. Under EU rules, the deficit cannot exceed 3 three percent of GDP. However, in 2023, France's ratio spiked to 5.5 percent, and is forecast to be 6.2 percent this year.Mr Barnier's brief was to rescue the French economy, getting the GDP to deficit ratio back below three percent. To do that, his budget included deep cuts to public spending totalling £33bn (€40bn), and steep tax rises amounting to £16bn (€20bn).
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