France’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, has successfully navigated a critical initial challenge by winning two no-confidence votes initiated by opposition parties. This victory provides a crucial reprieve, enabling him to shift his focus towards the pressing task of passing the 2026 budget. The narrowest of the votes saw a motion from the far-left fall just 18 votes short of the required majority to oust him.
While this marks a significant political win for Lecornu, his tenure has been anything but smooth. Appointed just four weeks ago and controversially reappointed after a brief resignation, his survival hinges on substantial concessions made to the Socialist Party. These include freezing President Macron’s key pension reform, which sought to raise the retirement age to 64.
However, these concessions come with considerable political and economic trade-offs. By agreeing not to use the constitutional ’49:3′ mechanism, which allows the government to pass legislation without a parliamentary vote, Lecornu has effectively handed significant power over the budget to the various parliamentary factions. This move signals a potential return to the complex party politics reminiscent of France’s Fourth Republic, potentially undermining the government’s ability to implement necessary fiscal austerity measures demanded by international markets and the EU.
The political landscape in France remains fractured. President Macron’s popularity has reportedly plummeted, with calls for his resignation growing from both the far-right and far-left. A former advisor has even labelled Macron as the “worst president of the Fifth Republic,” citing his perceived failure to curb the rise of the far-right and the ensuing political instability, which has garnered international concern and even derision.
The draft budget presented by Lecornu aims to reduce the deficit, but faces strong opposition from left-wing parties who view it as detrimental to ordinary citizens. The Socialist Party leader has indicated that further concessions will be demanded, or further no-confidence votes will be considered, highlighting the precarious balance of power in the French National Assembly.