Prime Minister François Bayrou is facing a wave of opposition from across France’s political spectrum after calling a high-stakes vote of confidence on September 8 regarding his government’s proposed €44 billion in budget cuts.

Leading a minority government since December, Bayrou framed the vote as a necessary response to the country’s worsening fiscal outlook. “Yes, it’s risky, but it’s even riskier not to do anything,” he said on Monday, describing France’s financial situation as a “worrying and therefore decisive moment.”

However, major opposition parties—from the far-right National Rally to the left-leaning Socialists, Greens, and France Unbowed—have already pledged to vote against the prime minister. The announcement came just ahead of nationwide protests planned by the “Bloquons Tout” movement, which emerged online and has since gained support from unions and far-left groups.

Public reaction has also rippled through financial markets. France’s CAC 40 stock index dropped 1.59% on Monday and slid another 2% the following morning, reflecting investor unease over the political and economic uncertainty.

Finance Minister Eric Lombard stressed the urgency of the moment, stating, “Collectively we have to find a way to prepare a budget for recovery for 2026.” France’s budget deficit reached 5.8% of GDP last year, and Bayrou has warned that the country must act decisively to avoid what he described as “the curse of indebtedness.”

Bayrou was appointed by President Emmanuel Macron following the collapse of Michel Barnier’s government in December, which also fell over contested spending reforms. Now, Bayrou’s own administration faces a similarly precarious future, lacking a solid majority in the National Assembly.

National Rally president Jordan Bardella dismissed the confidence vote as a sign that Bayrou’s government is nearing its end, while party leader Marine Le Pen called for new elections, saying only a parliamentary dissolution would “let France choose its destiny.”