French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu survived a no-confidence vote on Friday, January 23, following his move to force his budget through parliament, in a symbolic victory with more such challenges expected.
Lecornu on Tuesday used a constitutional power to ram the income part of the 2026 state budget through parliament without a vote, after making concessions to gain the backing of the Socialists.
The no-confidence motion was blocked by key swing members of parliament. A second motion, submitted by the right-wing parties, was also defeated.
“Things are now at an impasse. The text can no longer be voted on. And we believe France must have a budget,” Lecornu said on Tuesday when invoking the constitutional measure. He acknowledged doing so with “a certain degree of regret and a bit of bitterness,” having pledged last year to seek parliamentary approval to avoid the fate of his two predecessors, who were ousted over budget disputes.
Concessions in the latest draft included increased top-up benefits for the lowest-paid employees and the rollout of one-euro meals for students.
Lecornu will need to invoke the same constitutional power twice more to pass the remainder of the budget. Once complete, the text must be reviewed by the upper-house Senate before returning to the National Assembly for final adoption.
