The French government led by Prime Minister François Bayrou is on the verge of collapse after opposition parties across the political spectrum said they would not back him in a vote of confidence next month.

Prime Minister Francois Bayrou's minority government has opted to roll the dice with a confidence vote in a bid to get an unpopular budget through parliamant.

The chances of his winning the vote in a special session of the National Assembly on September 8 being extremely slim, the prime minister's days in office look numbered. If the vote is lost, Bayrou will be expected to resign,