French deputies present a motion of censure that could topple the government

After just three months in power, the French government seems to have its days numbered. On Monday, the main opposition parties announced their support for a motion of censure against Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

Both the leftist La France Insoumise (LFI) and Marine Le Pen's right-wing Rassemblement National (RN) party each filed seperate motions to oust the government. Le Pen also pledged that her party would back all such proposals, which, combined with LFI's support, would secure enough votes to unseat Barnier and his ministers.

The premier "will face both disgrace and censure this Wednesday," said LFI parliamentary chief, Mathilde Panot. If the motion is approved, the ministers will remain on an interim basis until President Emmanuel Macron appoints Barnier's replacement.

Panot, however, promised to go further: "Barnier's fall is a foregone conclusion. Macron will be next."

The opposition's announcement came after the head of government activated an article of the Constitution that allows him to sanction a law without submitting it to a vote of the deputies. He did so to approve part of the budget, believing that the parliamentarians would overturn the proposal. Barnier went ahead despite threats from the left and the right that they would promote a motion of censure if he went ahead without the endorsement of the National Assembly.

The government warned that the motion could produce an economic "storm" in the European Union's second largest economy. In addition, it would further stoke the political crisis of a Macron forced to form minority coalitions after the results of the July parliamentary elections that left the LFI with the largest number of seats and the RN as the most voted party.