Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin sparked uproar in the French parliament on Tuesday when he accused the Socialist leader of cowardice in a debate over an industrial crisis at Europe's leading aerospace company.

Socialist party members stormed out of the National Assembly and weekly questions were suspended after Villepin launched a virulent assault on leftist leader Francois Hollande, who had challenged him over delays to the Airbus A380 superjumbo.

"Mr Hollande, I denounce the ease, and I would even say, face-to-face, the cowardice, the cowardice of your position," Villepin said, straining to be heard as enraged Socialist parliamentarians rose en masse to protest.

"He's mad," Socialist grandee Henri Emmanuelli shouted.

Parliamentary stewards had to stand guard around Villepin as Socialist politicians advanced towards him chanting "resign".

The latest storm to batter the government was unleashed last week when Airbus unexpectedly revealed significant delays to deliveries of the A380. The news hit the shares Airbus parent EADS, which is 15 percent owned by the French state.

"In politics, as in all things, nothing can be built without trust. You have lost the trust of the French," Hollande said on Tuesday in an attack that provoked Villepin's fury.

Hollande later called on Villepin to resign.

"For a prime minister to use that sort of language in parliament... is a sign that he has lost all ability to govern the country," he told reporters.

Villepin has staked considerable political capital in attempting to shore up French companies. He told parliament on Tuesday that he would help sort out the problems at EADS.