The French government has survived fresh no confidence votes in the National Assembly, keeping its 2026 budget alive despite fierce opposition and renewed controversy over the use of constitutional powers.
France’s National Assembly on Tuesday once again rejected two motions of censure aimed at bringing down Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s government, clearing the way for the 2026 state budget to be adopted at a new reading.
After a brief examination by the Senate, the bill is expected to be definitively approved early next week, bringing months of parliamentary debate closer to an end.
The debate gave the prime minister an opportunity to defend what he described as a “breakthrough” budget, saying he was committing his responsibility “before history”.
Central to the plan is a €6.5 billion increase in defence spending, alongside a broader call to look beyond the immediate horizon of 2026.
The session was marked by sharp exchanges, with the head of government taking aim at critics on both the right and the left.
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Opposition divided
The joint motion of censure tabled by France Unbowed, the ecologist group and the GDR group – which includes the Communists and overseas MPs – was backed by 267 deputies.
This fell short of the 289 votes required to topple the government. A second motion brought by the far-right National Rally and its ally, the UDR group led by Eric Ciotti, garnered just 140 votes.
Both camps condemned the prime minister’s decision to invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution, which allows a bill to be passed without a vote unless a motion of censure succeeds.
Opposition MPs accused him of breaking a promise made to parliament in October to refrain from using the mechanism.
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Sharp criticism
Criticism of the budget’s content was sharp, particularly from the Greens. Their spokesperson, Christine Arrighi, accused the government of relegating ecological policy “to the very bottom of the list”.
She pointed to the “collapse” of the Green Fund, which supports local ecological transition projects, saying its budget would fall from €2.5 billion in 2024 to €850 million in 2026.
The National Rally attacked the budget, saying that it would increase taxes by “at least €9 billion” while continuing to drive up public debt.
As in previous votes, however, neither the Socialist Party nor the conservative Republicans supported the motions. Both cited the need for political stability and for France to finally adopt a state budget.
The Senate is expected to reject the bill on Thursday, allowing it to return quickly to the Assembly.
The prime minister could then once again stake his government’s responsibility, with final motions of censure likely to be voted down in early February, closing four months of parliamentary wrangling.
(with newswires)
