French govt faces confidence motions ahead of EU vote

France's government on Monday faced two confidence challenges with little chance of passing, as political temperatures rise ahead of Sunday's European Parliament election.

The bids to unseat Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and his government come from opposite ends of the political spectrum -- the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) and the far-right National Rally (RN), which polls say enjoys double the support of the centrist government party ahead of the ballot.

Launched in rebuke of ministers over budget cuts decreed without parliamentary debate, Monday's votes are a last major political set-piece before campaigning is overshadowed by the 80th anniversary of the World War II D-Day landings for the rest of this week.

Opposition politicians are "looking to cause disorder", Attal charged in an interview with broadcaster FranceInfo.

His government has been in place for just a few months and looks set for embarrassment on Sunday, with the centrist Renaissance party that holds most of the cabinet posts polling at around 16 percent, compared with the far-right RN's 32 percent.

RN lead candidate Jordan Bardella urged voters "not to be spectators of (France's) decline" in a weekend rally that drew around 5,000 people in Paris.

The 28-year-old's challenge to Attal, 35, has been cast as a battle for dominance of the next generation of French politics.

For his part, Attal told broadcaster France 3 that his Renaissance party list could "of course" beat the odds to come out on top, adding that "that's what we're all fighting for".

"It's not over yet" was the omnipresent slogan at a Renaissance rally in Paris suburb Aubervilliers Saturday.

- 'Unprecedented austerity' -

After years drifting to the right on issues including immigration and spending cuts, the party of President Emmanuel Macron must also fend off a challenge from the centre-left Socialists, whose charismatic lead candidate Raphael Glucksmann is polling at around 13 percent.

Macron himself will give a prime-time TV interview Thursday when he is expected to address the elections, the war in Ukraine and the Israeli campaign in Gaza.

He will be front and centre throughout this week as he hosts figures including US President Joe Biden and Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky for the anniversary of the vast 1944 amphibious invasion that kicked off the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi German occupation.

Monday's debates will see the government defend its pursuit of tighter budgets, days after France's debt was downgraded by ratings agency S&P.

LFI has accused ministers of imposing "unprecedented austerity" that would be "unbearable in social terms and ineffective in fiscal terms".

The hard-left outfit has called for higher taxes on the rich rather than cuts, while Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire has ruled out increasing levies.

LFI is hoping for a boost from focusing on such classic social themes, after its campaign centering on the Gaza conflict has failed to draw broad support.

The party is polling at just 8.5 percent days ahead of the vote.

A 289-strong absolute majority would be needed to topple the government in Monday's votes.

Even combining the strength of the RN and the spectrum of left-wing parties, the hurdle cannot be reached without support from the conservative Republicans party -- who for now are expected to sit on the sidelines.

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