France heads for political crisis as PM faces confidence vote

Fears of a new political crisis swept through France on Tuesday as the minority government of Francois Bayrou appeared likely to be ousted in a confidence vote next month.

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France's embattled prime minister stunned the country on Monday, announcing he had asked President Emmanuel Macron to convene an extraordinary session of parliament on Sept.8.

Bayrou needs parliamentary backing for his austerity measures to reduce France's soaring public debt but the main opposition partiesfrom the far-right to the hard-left - said they would not back the prime minister's plan.

The announcement came as calls mounted to stage a nationwide shutdown on Sept. 10 to protest against Bayrou’s proposed budget cuts.

Speaking on Tuesday, Bayrou urged France's political forces to think twice, noting they had 13 days to “say whether they are on the side of chaos or responsibility.”

“Is there or is there not a national emergency to rebalance the accounts, to escape excessive debt by choosing to reduce our deficits and produce more?” Bayrou said.

“That is the central question.”

Far-right leader Marine Le Pen - whose National Rally party has abstained in previous votes of confidence against Bayrou, allowing him to survive - now says she wants parliament dissolved and new parliamentary elections called.