France risks losing its third prime minister in 12 months on Monday, with incumbent François Bayrou facing a parliamentary confidence vote, heralding more political and financial instability for the European Union’s second-largest economy.

The 74-year-old centrist prime minister, appointed by President Emmanuel Macron just under nine months ago, is gambling that the vote will federate lawmakers in the sharply divided National Assembly behind proposed public spending cuts that Bayrou argues are needed to rein in France's spiraling state deficit and debts.

But opposition lawmakers are vowing to instead use the opportunity to topple Bayrou and his coalition government of centrist and right-wing ministers, an upheaval that would force Macron to begin what could be another arduous hunt for a replacement.

The National Assembly of 577 lawmakers is interrupting its summer recess for the extraordinary session that Bayrou requested, starting at 3 p.m. (1300 GMT; 0900 EDT) on Monday afternoon.

After Bayrou delivers a speech that is expected to argue that belt-tightening is in the national interest, lawmakers will have their say before they vote either for or against his government. Lawmakers can also abstain.

Bayrou needs a majority of “for” votes to survive.

If a majority votes against, France's constitution decrees that Bayrou would have to submit his government’s resignation to Macron, plunging France into renewed crisis.