French Finance Minister Éric Lombard stated on Tuesday that there is a threat of International Monetary Fund intervention in the economy if the minority government led by François Bayrou falls. Bayrou’s government faces increasing threats of being ousted after three major opposition parties announced they would not support a confidence vote scheduled for September 8 due to his plans to implement significant budget cuts. Lombard told France Inter radio, “We are in the midst of the battle,” adding that he “certainly will not give up” on the possibility of Bayrou’s government losing the confidence vote.

When asked about comments from other politicians who said the collapse of Bayrou’s government could lead to IMF intervention in French financial affairs, Lombard replied, “This is a real risk ahead of us.” He added, “It is a risk we want to avoid, and we must avoid it, but I cannot claim it does not exist.”