France's far-right National Rally party said on Monday it was preparing for the possibility of snap elections as it believes Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's efforts this week to try to prevent the collapse of his government will fail, Reuters reported.
The leader of the National Rally Jordan Bardella said on Monday: "We can and must be ready for anything, including a return to the polls with the dissolution of the National Assembly."
Bardella spoke before a meeting aimed at preparing the Republican Party for parliamentary elections, and said the party had already chosen 85% of its candidates.
Marine Le Pen, the dominant force in the party although no longer its president, said at the same meeting that she and Bardella would meet with Bayrou on Tuesday out of courtesy but did not expect anything from the meeting.
Recall that opposition parties have said they will bring down the minority government in a vote of confidence on September 8, which Bayrou unexpectedly announced last week as he seeks to push through unpopular budget austerity plans in 2026.
On Monday, Bayrou began a series of talks with opposition parties to try to prevent this.
If Bayrou loses, President Emmanuel Macron could immediately appoint a new prime minister, ask Bayrou to stay in office for a while, or decide to call early parliamentary elections. Last month, before Bayrou announced his vote of confidence, Macron ruled out the possibility of early elections.
The parties that have said they will vote against Bayrou together have enough votes to bring down the government.
European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde said on Monday that France is stable but that any risk of a government collapse in the eurozone is worrying. France has the second-largest economy in the eurozone.