French premier survives 2 no-confidence motions, paving way for final adoption of 2026 budget

By Ilayda Cakirtekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu late Monday survived two no-confidence motions, moving the budget for final approval after months of debate at the National Assembly.

Lecornu survived two motions of no-confidence submitted by the far-right National Rally party and the left-wing parties, except for the Socialists.

The National Assembly rejected the left-wing parties’ motion after 260 votes for censure fell short of the 289 needed for an absolute majority.

National Rally's motion also failed to obtain a majority with only 135 votes in favor.

No-confidence motions came after Lecornu invoked Article 49.3 of the Constitution for the third and last time last week to push through the 2026 state budget without a vote in the National Assembly.

The rejection of the motions paved the way for the final adoption of the 2026 budget, although it will still need to be reviewed by the Constitutional Council before being promulgated.

The budget bill seeks to reduce France’s deficit from 5.4% of GDP in 2025 to 5% in 2026.

It also includes various concessions, notably toward the Socialist Party, such as one-euro meals for students and an increase in the activity bonus for low-income workers, according to broadcaster BFM TV.