French Prime Minister François Bayrou has asked the National Assembly to hold a vote of confidence on 8 September, staking the future of his government on support for a 2026 budget that includes €44 billion in spending cuts. Bayrou argues the package is needed to curb a debt load he says is pushing the country "to the brink of over-indebtedness", with debt-service costs projected to rise from €66 billion this year to €107 billion by 2029. Major opposition blocs swiftly rejected the appeal. Marine Le Pen said the far-right Rassemblement National will "obviously vote against" and renewed calls for dissolving parliament, while Socialist Party leader Olivier Faure, hard-left La France Insoumise and the Greens also pledged to oppose the government. Conservative Republicans warned the country is "dancing on a volcano" and some members of Bayrou’s own centrist alliance floated institutional reforms if the cabinet falls. Markets reacted to the political uncertainty and fiscal concerns: Paris’s CAC 40 index fell 1.5 % after Bayrou’s announcement, and 10-year French OAT yields edged toward 3.5 %, levels close to Italian bonds. Economists quoted by state broadcaster Franceinfo cautioned that sustained higher rates could hasten France’s "economic downgrading" as the Treasury prepares to borrow about €310 billion next year. If Bayrou fails to secure a majority, he would be expected to resign, opening the door to a new coalition bid or fresh legislative elections. Government ministers have framed the confidence motion as an act of "courage and lucidity" that will force every deputy to choose between budget discipline and deeper instability.