The French government fell in a vote of no confidence, deepening the political crisis.

PARIS: French opposition lawmakers toppled the government on Wednesday, plunging the EU’s second-biggest economic power deeper into a political crisis that has left it scrambling to legislate and rein in a huge budget deficit. The potential is threatened.

Far-right and far-left lawmakers joined forces to support a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Michel Barnier and his government, with a majority of 331 votes in favor of the motion.

Barnier was expected to hand in his and his government’s resignation to President Emmanuel Macron soon.

The hard left and far right chastised Barnier for choosing to use special constitutional powers to adopt part of an unpopular budget without a final vote in parliament, where he lacked majority support. The draft budget called for 60 billion euros ($63.07 billion) in savings to try to reduce the deficit.

“This (deficit) reality will not disappear with the magic of the motion of condemnation,” Barnier told lawmakers before the vote, adding that the budget deficit would return to whatever government is in place.

No French government has lost a vote of confidence since Georges Pompidou in 1962. Macron triggered the crisis by calling snap elections in June that delivered a polarized parliament.

With its president lacking, France now risks ending the year without a stable government or a 2025 budget, although the constitution allows for special measures that could prevent a US-style government shutdown.

France’s political crisis will further weaken an EU that is already reeling from the collapse of Germany’s coalition government and weeks before US President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.

“We have reached a moment of truth,” said far-right National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, adding that Barnier’s austerity budget plans were dangerous and unfair and meant chaos for France. would have caused

The hard-left France Envoy (LFI) party called for Macron’s resignation.

“With the motion of no confidence, all of Emmanuel Macron’s politics have been defeated and we demand that he go,” said LFI member Mathilde Panot.

France now faces deep political uncertainty that is already troubling investors in French sovereign bonds and stocks. Earlier this week, France’s borrowing costs briefly exceeded those of Greece, which is generally considered much riskier. Macron must now make a choice.

Macron aims to install a new prime minister quickly, three sources told Reuters, with one saying he wants to name a prime minister before the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral on Saturday, which Trump will attend. are going to do Any new Prime Minister will have to face this. Barnier-like challenges getting bills passed, including the 2025 budget, adopted by a divided parliament. New parliamentary elections cannot be held before July.