Paris - President Nicolas Sarkozy will become the first French head of state to address a joint session of Parliament in more than 150 years when he makes a long-anticipated speech to lawmakers at Versailles later Monday.

Sarkozy's appearance was made possible by a constitutional amendment passed in July 2008, which annulled a law prohibiting a sitting president to address lawmakers. The last French head of state to do so was Charles-Louis Napoleon, in
1848.

The event has been fiercely criticized by the opposition Socialists and their left-wing allies.

The Green Party and the Communists have announced plans to boycott it, while the Socialists said they would not participate in a debate scheduled to take place when Sarkozy departs after his speech.

They charge that the speech is merely one more step in Sarkozy's plan to broaden his authority and influence over every branch of government and was more evidence of his "monarchical" rule.

Law professor Dominique Rousseau told the daily Liberation that Sarkozy was "twisting" French institutions for his own benefit and that the move also diminished the powers of his prime minister, Francois Fillon.

But Rousseau also criticized opposition politicians, describing their position as "childish.

Sarkozy's speech comes at the halfway point of his five-year term. He is expected to address the economic crisis, particularly additional steps the government may take as joblessness and the budget deficit continue to soar.

Budget Minister Eric Woerth said late Sunday that the budget deficit is expected to climb to between 7 and 7.5 per cent of France's GDP this year and in 2010.

This is more than twice the ceiling mandated by the EU's stability pact, which set the maximum at 3 per cent of GDP.

Sarkozy is also expected to lay out his sweeping reform plans for the post-crisis period, which will be concerned with slashing public spending, and to touch on such issues as raising the retirement age and the environment. (dpa)