France sets Sept 8 confidence vote on debt-cutting budget

France’s prime minister has called a high-stakes confidence vote for Sept. 8 in a bid to push through deep spending cuts to rein in the country’s rising public debt, setting the stage for another bout of political and economic turmoil that could topple the government and reshape Paris’s options for the autumn. François Bayrou announced the extraordinary parliamentary session on Monday, saying the measures are necessary to avert a national debt emergency, but opposition parties from the far right to the hard left have vowed to vote him down. Mass anti-austerity demonstrations and a nationwide shutdown have been called for Sept. 10.

Bayrou framed the vote as a choice between “chaos or responsibility,” warning that France faces the risk of overindebtedness if decisive action is not taken. His 2026 budget package aims to save roughly 44 billion euros, with some reports putting the target higher, and includes cuts to unemployment benefits, a freeze on spending increases and proposals to reduce the number of public holidays. The proposals have proved deeply unpopular with voters and lawmakers alike.

The parliamentary arithmetic appears stacked against Bayrou. The National Assembly...