After months of political deadlock, France’s 2026 national budget was finally adopted on Monday evening after two no-confidence motions were rejected in parliament.
The motion was tabled in response to Prime Minister Sébastien Lecorne’s decision on Friday to invoke Article 49(3) of the Constitution, which allows the government to pass legislation without a vote of MPs.
One of the motions was submitted by the far-right National Rally, and the other by left-wing parties, excluding the Socialist Party. Both failed, so the budget was automatically adopted.
The vote marks the final chapter in a long and tumultuous process that has exposed deep rifts within France’s divided parliament.
In a message posted to X, Sebastien Lecornu expressed relief that France “finally” got the budget.
He clarified that the document was not a “government document” but “the result of a parliamentary compromise incorporating amendments from all groups,” adding that he was submitting the budget to the Constitutional Council to ensure it complied with the country’s constitution.
Since the 2024 snap election resulted in a hung parliament, lawmakers have repeatedly failed to reach a compromise on how to deal with deteriorating public finances. Two of Lecorne’s predecessors had already lost their jobs due to the budget debacle.
Lacking a stable majority, Lecorne ultimately chose to force the bill through without a vote.
Tensions ran high during Monday’s parliamentary debate. Lecorne accused some opposition parties of causing “perpetual chaos” and said it would be irresponsible to block budget talks at a time like this.
Meanwhile, the far-right National Rally condemned the “budget of punishment and deprivation” and urged MPs to vote to overthrow the government.
Division within the government camp
This budget has not convinced all of the government’s allies. Several centrist and right-wing lawmakers have openly questioned whether the goal of reducing the public deficit from 5.4% in 2025 to 5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in 2026 is realistic.
Under the government’s plan, companies will shoulder the burden of several tax increases, including an additional tax on large corporate profits, which are expected to earn more than 7 billion euros. The national deficit is expected to be around 132 billion euros, almost unchanged from last year.
Agnès Pannier-Runacher, a member of President Emmanuel Macron’s campaign, said the budget “does not prepare for the future” and warned that tax increases could have a negative impact on economic activity.
He claimed that some companies have already frozen hiring while awaiting clarity on new financial measures.
Divided left, socialists keep balance
On the left, divisions remain sharp. The far-left France Inboud (LFI) and the Green Party urged the Socialist Party to support a vote of no confidence.
However, the Socialist Party has made it clear that it will not support this motion, effectively guaranteeing the survival of the government. In return, they won several concessions, the most symbolic of which was the cancellation of the highly unpopular pension reform that raised the retirement age from 62 to 64.
The measure was postponed until after next year’s presidential election.
LFI coordinator Manuel Bompard dismissed the concessions won by the Socialists as meaningless, but Green Party lawmaker Sandrine Rousseau reminded them that the Socialists remained the opposition party.
France is under increasing pressure from the European Union and credit rating agencies to rein in its debt, making budgetary discipline a political priority.
