Image source, Getty Images

Political instability in France has led to 40,000 job losses in the construction sector, according to a leading building industry boss.

Olivier Salleron, President of the French Building Federation, tells World Business Report on the BBC World Service that "a raft of economic problems... have not been dealt with by the French government for the past two years", including the impact of high interest rates and fewer building permits being issued.

He adds that instability around energy improvement rules has "caused 40,000 job losses" this year alone.

And, Salleron expresses concern the government collapses and Barnier's budget overturned "we’ll have to wait months and months, at a time when we are losing around 5,000 construction workers every month. This is a real emergency".

Salleron also calls for more government assistance because "families on middle incomes can no longer acquire a house in France, especially in rural areas, in the suburbs and in the countryside".

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Amid the chaos of today’s no-confidence vote France needs a coalition of governance, an MP inside the chamber has said.

Stepping out of proceedings to speak to our colleagues on Radio 4's PM programme, centrist MP Éléonore Caroit says that the backlash to Michel Barnier's budget arose because of the fact that he took elements and proposals from groups across France’s political spectrum.

The MP adds that Barnier was appointed for his "capacity to build a coalition and make compromises", but accepts that "it’s not looking good" and admits Barnier now looks likely to lose his job.

"We need to think of what went wrong and how incapable we were of building this coalition which is absolutely needed," she says. "We're not in a binary world anymore.”

Speaking to the BBC ahead of the debate earlier on, Caroit stressed that France's stability relied on there being a budget for the next year.

France's parliament is made up of these blocs:

New Popular Front - 193 seats

A coalition of centre-left and left-wing parties including Socialists, Greens, Communists and the radical left La France Insoumise (France Unbowed). They joined together to keep out the far right in the last election.

National Rally and allies - 142 seats

Marine Le Pen's party, which came in third place in the July elections.

Ensemble alliance - 166 seats

Created by Emmanuel Macron and brings together MPs from several parties.

Republicans right group - 47 MPs

France's mainstream conservative party.

Eva van Dam
Reporting from Paris

Near the busy docks on the River Seine, crowds of people line up outside of the Musée d’Orsay. Among them are Clara and Geremy, both in their early 30s.

For Clara, the vote of no confidence represents the latest issue in a series of problems and events that have unfolded during Macron's presidency.

"I don’t think about it as just a 'right-now' problem; the situation has been very chaotic for a long time," she tells the BBC.

"I lost confidence a long time ago about being listened to by the government, and by the president especially. In July, people voted very massively for the Left and I don’t know if we'll have another shot, because when people are not listened to in an election, abstentionism rises."

As for Geremy, he believes that if Barnier is ousted, it might make President Macron aware that the government and the public don't agree with how the budget has been handled.

"Macron can't go anywhere, he can’t escape this. I would like to see him go but since he is a very stubborn person, he won't leave until he’s thrown out by the people from the Elysée Palace," Geremy says, adding that he doesn't want that to happen.

The debate is underway in Paris to decide whether Michel Barnier gets to keep his job as prime minister.

Eric Coquerel opened with the argument of parliamentary groups on the left, and he was swiftly followed by Marine Le Pen, who spoke for the far right.

Here's a look at how events have unfolded so far.

Image source, Reuters

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Risky moment for Marine Le Penpublished at 17:03 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2024

17:03 GMT 4 December 2024

Paul Kirby
Europe digital editor

Image source, Reuters

The is a high-stakes moment for Marine Le Pen.

It could be her best chance of power yet as head of France’s far-right National Rally.

As Macron's presidency looks ever weaker, it is Le Pen who appears to have the upper hand.

However, this situation is not without immense risks for her too.

Pushing for a no-confidence vote "comes as a considerable risk because people are now wondering if she’s really acting in the interests of the country or her own, personal interests," says Prof Armin Steinbach of HEC business school in Paris.

"It's about her trying to overthrow and weaken Macron, obviously for her personal ambitions to herself become the next president,” he adds.

Laurent Wauquiez of the Republicans party is up next. His party will abstain from this evening's vote - meaning they are voting against the no-confidence motion.

"Yes, France is going through a troubled and confused time... But the choice we have is very clear. And there are two choices: the interests of the country or the interests of the parties."

Wauquiez accuses the left and the right of choosing chaos over responsibility and praises Barnier for his work over the last few months on immigration, justice, and the economy.

"We have decided to support you," he says. "Can our country afford the luxury of institutional instability, while there is so much to rebuild? Surely not."

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"Everyone will make their choice based on their conscience. But tonight you will carry that choice to the French. Because there's one thing we can't accept... the notion that the no-confidence vote will have no consequences. We can't lie to the French. There will be consequences and they will be paid by the French."

He says that farmers and ordinary working people that the RN "claims to care about" will pay the consequences.

He says that because there can't be new elections until summer 2025, those who vote for no-confidence are "playing with the destiny of France" and are dooming it to the "Pandora box of institutional instability".

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

Image source, Reuters

Boris Vallaud of the Socialists is the third MP to address the National Assembly.

His party sits within the left-wing alliance New Popular Front (NFP) – which won the most votes at July's parliamentary election, though not enough to govern on its own.

The NFP has long been aggrieved that President Macron did not pick a prime minister from its ranks.

Vallaud said Barnier never attempted to have a dialogue with the left and accuses him of colluding with the far-right through "endless concessions".

The aim of the no-confidence motion is to give France a legitimate government, he says. Several left-wing MPs give him a standing ovation.

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

Le Pen says her National Rally (RN) party has always wanted to give purchasing power back to the French and stop unnecessary spending. Addressing Barnier, she says: "Yet you have refused to accept even just a reasonable number of the measures we put forward... your only answer has been taxes, taxes and more taxes," she says to applause from RN MPs.

"The budget you put forward is a technocratic one... and it refuses to tackle the causes of the dizzying increase in security concerns and crime faced by the country," she adds.

"Immigration, purchasing power and security" were the three core demands of the RN - "but you've just given us crumbs," she tells Barnier.

Referring to the fact that in order for the government to fall the RN will have to vote with the left-wing New Popular Front (NFP), which includes the far-left - RN's bitter enemy - she says: "The circumstances force us to vote with the far left... but we are just using it as a tool to stop this toxic budget."

In a conclusion that would not seem out of place in an electoral speech, she says: "I want to tell those who are suffering... that the day will come. A real shock of hope awaits France."

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

Le Pen's address is heavy on the economic concerns of those she calls "the most vulnerable French people".

"France has lost control of its public finances," she says, adding that Barnier's budget made "hostages of the most vulnerable French people... those people who are now asking: where is our money going?"

On a few occasions she references France's "outre-mer" territories - all of the French territories located outside mainland France - several of which have recently seen significant protests against the rising cost of living.

As she speaks many MPs shout and are hushed by the president of the parliament.

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

Image source, Reuters

We can now bring you some of Marine Le Pen's first remarks as she addresses French MPs ahead of the vote of no confidence.

"We have come to the moment of truth," the head of the far-right National Rally party says, adding that she wanted to believe Barnier wouldn't "just be a follower of what came before but the builder of a new future".

Instead, she adds, "It's become clear you are just heading a government without democratic legitimacy."

Laura Gozzi
Europe reporter

Image source, Reuters

Éric Coquerel of the radical left France Unbowed (LFI) says "today we make history... I appreciate how serious today".

"The majority of the people back the motion I have tabled," he says to frequent jeers from various sides of the parliament.

He notes that Barnier belongs to the party that fared the worst at the last election and that his failure was "long forecast".

Coquerel says Barnier's use of a special procedure to push through his budget without a vote is the "preferred option of weak governments,"

He accuses Barnier of being "illegitimate" and says that he never even tried to take into account the budget amendments tabled by the left, adding that the decision to push for a no-confidence vote was "nothing" compared to what Barnier wanted to "inflict" on the French through his budget.

Coquerel also says Barnier was fearmongering when he talked about the economic turmoil that would follow a no-confidence vote.

Nathan Williams
Live page editor

French MPs have now started a debate ahead of the vote of no confidence in PM Michel Barnier.

Although Barnier has insisted he can still win the vote, the left-wing alliance New Popular Front and Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally MPs have already said they will cast their ballots against him.

If the motion passes, as is expected, the government will collapse but Barnier will likely be asked to stay on as a caretaker prime minister.

This latest drama was triggered when Barnier bypassed normal parliamentary procedures to force through his 2025 budget.

In reality, the 73-year-old has been in a precarious position since the day he became prime minister in September, with his appointment following elections in which no party had enough seats to govern on its own.

Stay with us for updates and analysis in the run-up to the crucial vote.

Journalists have gathered under the chandeliers in the colonnaded press room of the French parliament to watch the debate and vote which is expected to bring down Prime Minister Michel Barnier.

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If Barnier goes his budget goes toopublished at 15:48 Greenwich Mean Time 4 December 2024

15:48 GMT 4 December 2024

Hugh Schofield
Paris Correspondent

Hidden behind France’s political crisis is the small matter of the 2025 budget. In a nutshell, if Michel Barnier is voted out, there won't be one.

Remember that when the prime minister pushed the social security budget through the Assembly on Monday, it was only on the condition that there be a vote of no confidence today.

Basically the government was betting all on the legislation, with itself as collateral. If Barnier goes, the budget goes too.

There are various implications. First some kind of emergency law will have to be passed to allow bills to be paid and loans raised on the money markets after 1 January.

That will be the task of whatever caretaker government keeps the show running after Barnier's fall (it could even be Barnier himself).

Image source, Reuters

But one side-effect could be to tip millions of people into paying more tax than they should be.

That is because any temporary 2025 budget will rest on the 2024 numbers. There won't have been a recalibration to account for inflation.

As a result there will be many households – earning an extra two percent because of inflation – who find themselves pushed into a higher tax band. Others will find themselves paying income tax for the first time.

One of many unintended consequences of the chaos.

Some MPs have been expressing their unhappiness with president Emmanuel Macron for decisions he made which led to these events.

It began when he called a snap election for July.

Claire Lejeune, an MP for the left wing party La France Insoumise, tells the BBC's World at One programme that she is angry with him for "not respecting the vote" of the 7 July elections.

In that election, the bloc which won the most seats was the left-wing New Popular Front (NPF), which includes La France Insoumise.

Lejeune says: "We want a government that is reflection of democratic voice of the country."

She adds:

She adds that people came out to vote but he did not respect their vote. "This institutional chaos is Macron’s responsibility," she says.

As French MPs weigh up how they will vote this afternoon, a member of Emmanuel Macron’s centrist Renaissance party tells the BBC that it would be "irresponsible" to risk the country being left with no budget at all.

MPs can wither vote in favour of the motion of no-confidence or abstain, they cannot vote "no".

Éléonore Caroit, a Renaissance MP, says she will abstain: "You only vote if you want to take down the government, which I obviously don’t."

If Barnier is voted out, he has warned of a strong possibility that there will be no budget for 2025, meaning emergency measures will be in place to keep the country solvent.

And, Caroit tells BBC News that this is reason enough not to vote against Barnier today.

"I as an MP am not one hundred percent happy with this budget, but I do think we need a budget,” she says. "I think [France] needs stability, I think it also needs to reassure the markets."

• As a reminder, this afternoon’s no-confidence motion came about after Michel Barnier attempted to push through a budget that included €60bn (£49bn) worth of tax rises and spending cuts without parliamentary support.

Image source, AFP

Sandrine Rousseau, a member of the Greens, says that the "doom and gloom" surrounding the no-confidence votes is "unworthy".

"There won't be any disasters, there won't be any computer shutdowns, there won't be swarms of locust if we vote for [the motion]," she tells the AFP.

"What will happen is that work on the budget will stop, yes, but as soon as there is a new government, there will be a rectifying finance bill… which will allow work to resume."

Image source, Getty Images

The president of the far-right National Rally (RN) took to the airwaves this morning to defend his party's decision to back a motion of no confidence in Michel Barnier.

Jordan Bardella says his party has been "constructive" and tried working with Barnier but ultimately could not accept his proposed social security budget.

"When the prime minister presents us with a budget that is going to penalise growth, the purchasing power of our most precarious, most modest compatriots and which does not engage in any structural reform in the functioning of the state then it is my duty to reject this budget," Bardella tells public radio France Inter.

The New Popular Front (NPF), a left-wing alliance, has 193 MPs in the French National Assembly, with 185 openly backing the motion of no confidence in Michel Barnier while seven refused to sign it.

The Macron-created centrist Ensemble alliance brings together 166 MPs from several parties.

Moving to the right is the Republican Right group with 47 MPs sitting next to 142 assembly members drawn from the far-right National Rally and its allied parties.

The final 29 members of the assembly come from a variety of minority parties.