French PM forces part of Budget Bill through divided lower house without vote
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French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu (centre) and his government will now likely face no-confidence motions from the opposition.
PHOTO: EPA
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- PM Lecornu used a special power to pass part of the 2026 Budget Bill without a vote due to a divided parliament.
- Opposition parties (LFI and RN) are expected to file no-confidence motions, but the government is likely to survive.
- The budget, aiming for a maximum 5% fiscal deficit, will proceed to the Senate and is expected to pass in February.
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PARIS - France’s Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu made use of a special constitutional power on Jan 20 to force part of his 2026 Budget Bill through the deeply divided lower house of Parliament without a vote.
Mr Lecornu invoked Article 49.3 of the Constitution on the income side of the legislation to get it through the lower house, where it had become deadlocked after three months of discussions.
In response, opposition parties the hard-left France Unbowed (LFI) and far-right National Rally were expected to file no-confidence motions against the government.
Mr Lecornu and his government, however, appear to have won enough political backing, notably from the Socialists, to survive the no-confidence votes, which are likely to take place on Jan 23.
The legislation is due to head to the Senate next before returning to the lower house.
Mr Lecornu will also need to force the spending side of the Budget Bill through the lower house before a final push on the overall package.
Mr Lecornu’s minority government expects the Budget to be definitively passed in the first half of February, one official has said.
He had previously promised to abstain from forcing the Budget Bill through Parliament without a vote but was forced to do so after failing to win over enough lawmakers to pass the legislation with a vote, despite offering a series of concessions.
Mr Lecornu’s move nevertheless brings France closer to a conclusion to getting a 2026 Budget through Parliament that keeps the fiscal deficit to a maximum of 5 per cent of its projected economic output for the year. REUTERS
