Lecornu likely to survive no-confidence votes after Socialist Party rule out toppling govt

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is likely to survive upcoming no-confidence votes over his budget plans after the Socialist Party said it would not support efforts to bring down the government.

According to a Politico report, Socialist leader Olivier Faure said on Tuesday that his party would not join no-confidence motions backed by the far-left France Unbowed or the far-right National Rally, following concessions offered by Lecornu last week, including €1 lunches for university students and increased spending on social housing.

“Our conditions for not censuring (the government) have been fulfilled,” Politico quoted Faure as saying on French radio.

Without Socialist backing, France’s political extremes lack the numbers needed to topple the government, as they require support from more centrist opposition lawmakers to pass a no-confidence vote.

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Lecornu said Monday he would expose his government to possible no-confidence motions by invoking Article 49.3 of the French constitution to push through France’s long-delayed budget after months of parliamentary deadlock.

France began the year without an approved budget after lawmakers failed to adopt one in December, though a shutdown was avoided by rolling over last year’s budget into 2026.

Article 49.3 allows the government to pass legislation without a parliamentary vote but enables opposition lawmakers to respond with no-confidence motions.

Lecornu is set to trigger the provision on Tuesday to pass the revenue portion of the budget.

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If the government survives the expected votes, likely on Friday, it will invoke Article 49.3 again to pass the spending section, according to Lecornu’s office.

A parliamentary adviser said the government aims to complete the process by January 30.

While the full budget text has yet to be published, Budget Minister Amélie de Montchalin said Monday the plan would reduce France’s budget deficit to at least 5 per cent of gross domestic product this year.

She said the target would be achieved through €2 billion in unspecified savings by state agencies and by extending a temporary 2025 tax on 300 large companies.

With inputs from agencies