The French government successfully survived two no-confidence votes in parliament on Friday after pushing through the income portion of the 2026 budget without allowing the National Assembly a final vote. The first motion, backed by hard-left parties including France Unbowed, the Greens, and Communists, fell short with 269 votes in favor against the required 288. A second motion, proposed by the far-right, garnered even fewer votes. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu intends to use Article 49.3 of the constitution to pass the expenditure segment of the budget, a move likely to trigger further parliamentary challenges. President Emmanuel Macron’s administration has had to circumvent parliament after prolonged negotiations failed to produce a deficit-reducing finance bill, with the 2026 budget deficit projected at 5% of GDP, below 2025’s 5.4% but above the EU’s 3% cap. Far-right leader Marine Le Pen warned that government supporters who backed Lecornu would face voter repercussions in upcoming local and presidential elections. Authorities expect the full budget to be definitively approved by mid-February.
