Paris, France. The French government survived two no-confidence votes in parliament on Friday after it pushed through the income part of the 2026 budget without giving the National Assembly the final say.
No-confidence motions fall short
A total of 269 lawmakers backed a no-confidence motion presented by France Unbowed along with the Greens and Communists, below the 288 votes required to bring down the government. Even fewer lawmakers supported a second no-confidence motion brought by the far right.
Next step on expenditure section expected
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is set to invoke article 49.3 of the constitution again to force the expenditure part of the budget through the National Assembly, a step expected to trigger further no-confidence votes.
Government bypasses parliament amid lack of majority
President Emmanuel Macron’s government has been circumventing parliament after months of negotiations failed to produce a deficit-reducing finance bill that could pass the lower house, where no party has a working majority. In seeking a budget, Macron lost two governments and France entered turmoil that the text said was rarely seen since the creation of the Fifth Republic in 1958.
Concessions and warnings ahead of future elections
With France relying on an emergency rollover budget from last year, Lecornu made last-minute concessions earlier this month to secure the Socialists’ agreement not to topple the government if it used special constitutional powers.
Far-right leader Marine Le Pen said opponents who supported Lecornu in the confidence vote would face consequences in future elections, including local elections in March and presidential elections in 2027. She told lawmakers that voters would judge both the budget measures and the process used.
Deficit target and adoption timeline
Lecornu said the budget deficit would not exceed 5% of GDP, compared with 5.4% in 2025 and above the European Union’s 3% cap. A government official said the government expects the full budget to be definitively adopted in the first half of February.
How do you view the government’s use of article 49.3 to pass parts of the 2026 budget?
