France PM forces part of budget through Parliament without vote

PARIS (AFP) — French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday rammed part of the 2026 budget through Parliament without a vote, exposing himself to a no-confidence motion, after negotiations reached an impasse.

Lecornu will have to repeat the measure twice more to enact the full budget into law, facing multiple no-confidence votes tabled by opposition parties.

“Things are now at an impasse. The text can no longer be voted on. And we believe France must have a budget,” the prime minister told the National Assembly.

“Since Parliament is unable to see through its responsibility of giving the nation a budget,” he had to resort to a constitutional measure to force bills into law, he said, while rebuking political groups for having blocked them.

Lecornu is now counting on the support of the Socialists, a key swing group in the lower chamber, to survive no-confidence votes, which the opposition have vowed to table.

President Emmanuel Macron praised the draft budget on Monday for keeping the country’s deficit to 5% of gross domestic product, saying it “allows the country to move forward.”

Macron noted it “required compromises and concessions from everyone.”

However, the move marked a backpedal for Lecornu, who pledged last year to seek Parliament’s approval, in a bid to avoid the fate of his two predecessors who were ousted over budget negotiations.

But on Monday, Lecornu conceded with “a certain degree of regret and a bit of bitterness” that he had to invoke the power to push the budget through.

“It’s a partial success, partial failure,” he said.

National Assembly President Yael Braun-Pivet also acknowledged a level of failure, telling journalists on Tuesday, “it is democracy, obviously, that loses today,” while calling for changes to the rules governing budget debates.

No-confidence threat

Any use of “Article 49.3,” the constitutional power being used to push the legislation through Parliament without a vote, can trigger a no-confidence vote, which can topple the government.

The hard-left France Unbowed, known by its French initials LFI, announced it had filled such a motion after the article was put into force, which the Greens and Communists plan to join.

The far-right National Rally, or RN, later confirmed it tabled a motion as well.

The Socialists are not expected to vote for the France Unbowed motion, convinced that 49.3 is “the least bad solution” and that they have won substantive victories, which should keep Lecornu in power.

“We will not censure the government,” party leader Olivier Faure told radio broadcaster France Inter.

The Socialists have acknowledged “progress” on this latest draft, with the party chair Boris Vallaud pointing to changes including an increase in a top-up benefit for the lowest-paid employees and the rollout of 1-euro meals for students.

The next section of the budget to require Article 49.3 is expected to be delivered to Parliament on Friday.

After another motion of no confidence, the text must then be reviewed by the Senate before returning to the National Assembly for final adoption. This is expected to happen in mid-February.

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By Agence France-Presse