### Marine Le Pen Threatens to Topple French Government Over Budget Disputes

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has issued a stark ultimatum to the minority government of Prime Minister Michel Barnier, warning that unless significant changes are made to the country's budget bill, her party will move to bring down the administration by the end of the year. This development follows a critical meeting between Le Pen and Barnier over next year’s budget and other crucial issues. Barnier is also slated to hold discussions with left- and center-aligned political leaders later in the day.

Le Pen has made it clear that the lawmakers from her National Rally party, including herself, are prepared to file a confidence motion if the current budget proposal under parliamentary debate remains unchanged. Among her demands are a staunch opposition to any increase in electricity taxes and a call to raise state pensions starting in January.

The continued survival of Barnier’s Cabinet hinges on the support or at least the non-opposition from the far-right faction. The budget bill, crucial to the administration’s functioning for the coming year, must be passed by December 21. "We stated our nonnegotiable elements," Le Pen remarked. "We are clear in our political stance. We defend the French people."

The June-July parliamentary elections left France’s National Assembly, its lower house of parliament, severely fragmented. It is now divided among three major blocs: the left-wing New Popular Front coalition, President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist allies, and the far-right National Rally party. No single group managed to secure an outright majority.

Barnier's administration, which primarily consists of members from his Republicans party and centrists from Macron's alliance, holds just over 210 out of 577 seats. Faced with significant pressure from the European Union's executive branch, France is tasked with reducing its enormous national debt. The Barnier Cabinet aims to cut the national deficit from the current 6% of GDP to 5% next year, seeking savings of €60 billion ($66 billion).

Recently, the government survived a confidence vote initiated by the left-wing coalition, thanks to the National Rally's decision to abstain. Le Pen's new threat adds to the government's precarious standing as it navigates this challenging legislative period.

Adding a layer of complexity to the political landscape, Le Pen and other National Rally leaders are currently on trial in Paris for allegedly embezzling European Parliament funds. Prosecutors have called for a two-year prison sentence and a five-year ban on Le Pen running for office. This legal battle unfolds against the backdrop of her escalating political maneuvers.