France: Lecornu forces through the budget bill

Brussels – French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is forcing the issue to secure approval of the 2026 budget law. Despite having ruled out, back in December, the use of Article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows a law to be passed without parliamentary approval, Lecornu announced yesterday, 19 January, that he would invoke it despite “a certain amount of regret and a hint of bitterness.” The Prime Minister had no other cards to play to spare the French people from the provisional regime.

Rebellion on the right and left

However, MPs will be able to block Lecornu’s power move if they achieve a majority vote of no confidence in the government. Political forces at both ends of the parliamentary spectrum—La France Insoumise (LFI) and the Rassemblement National (RN)—are eagerly awaiting the end of the term in office of Macron’s friend. Yesterday, they tabled their motions. Still, the agreement between the two groups may not be enough, as LFI and RN cannot count on the Socialists’ votes. 

“We will not bring down the government,” Socialist Secretary Olivier Faure said this morning. “We have not yet seen the final version, but from what I understand, the conditions are in place to continue with Lecornu.” In fact, despite not having a formal majority in the Chamber, the Prime Minister has been able to rely on external support from the Socialists since October.

Criticism from the opposition was immediate. LFI president Mathilde Panot stated in a post on X that it was “the height of absurdity for socialists,” referring to the fact that Faure’s camp has always opposed the use of Article 49.3.”

The contents of the budget

In any case, the news is good for Lecornu’s unstable government. France, which has been the victim of a long period of political upheaval (five prime ministers in three years), is now ready to take stock. No major changes are expected in the budget. The main objective is to reduce the deficit-to-GDP ratio to 5 per cent (currently 5.5 per cent).

At the same time, there will be no tax increases for households or for 99 per cent of businesses. Lecornu’s plan is intended to affect only a very small part of French industry. A new tax on the profits of large companies is expected to bring in around 8 billion euros to the Treasury.