There has been a sharp rise in bond yields since ​the start of the conflict in the Middle East, ⁠and the subsequent increase in government borrowing costs alone is adding ​an extra 3.6 billion euros to the budget, Lescure told RTL radio.

Prime Minister ​Sebastien Lecornu’s government has pledged to fully offset the budgetary impact of measures aimed at helping households cope with the energy price shock triggered by the ​conflict.

Lescure said he would outline plans to freeze some spending at ​a meeting with lawmakers on Tuesday, stressing that the government would stop short ‌of ⁠outright budget cuts.

He added that PM Lecornu would announce new measures on Tuesday evening to help consumers manage higher energy prices, with a particular focus on people who rely on vehicles for work.

France, which ​already has one ​of the largest ⁠budget deficits in the euro zone, can only afford support measures that are strictly targeted at those ​most in need, the government has said. So far, ​it ⁠has focused on emergency fuel subsidies for the transport, fishing and farming sectors.

The government is meanwhile facing pressure from the far right to introduce ⁠a ​costly cut in the 20% value‑added tax ​on fuel, while the hard-left has called for energy prices to be capped.