Are the French government's days numbered?
Following Prime Minister François Bayrou's surprise announcement that he will seek a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on 8 September over his budget plan, far-left firebrand Jean-Luc Mélenchon has his sights set on President Emmanuel Macron.
"One year ago, we submitted a motion to demand Emmanuel Macron’s impeachment," the leader of France Unbowed said on Tuesday.
"We will do it again on 23 September. Alongside a motion of no-confidence – which may no longer be necessary if the government has already fallen – we will introduce an impeachment motion," he added.
Bayrou's minority government is set to collapse if he loses the vote, and several opposition parties have already stated they will not back him, including the far-right National Rally, the Greens, the Socialist Party and France Unbowed.
If the government falls, Macron could ask Bayrou to remain as head of a caretaker administration, name a new prime minister straight away, or call another snap election.
Bayrou's predecessor Michel Barnier lost a no-confidence vote over the budget in December last year, forcing him to resign after just three months in office.
In an interview with France Inter, Melenchon said he wanted to prevent Macron from appointing a third prime minister "who would pursue the same policy".
"Macron his chaos," he said. "The issue is Macron. He must go."
The confidence vote is set to take place on two days before protests planned largely by leftist organisations and trade unions.
Melenchon also expressed his backing for the upcoming "Bloquons Tout" ("Let’s Block Everything") grassroots movement. He called for the mobilisation to proceed no matter what the outcome of the confidence vote.
"We are at a historic crossroads for France, and we are participants in this pivotal moment," he said.
The protest movement is supported by two out of three French people, according to a poll for RTL.
