French Prime Minister Secures Vital Budget Vote Amidst Political Turmoil

Sat Dec 20 2025 18:12:24 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a critical moment for the French government, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu has narrowly passed a significant budget bill in the National Assembly, securing majority support amid political divisions.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu narrowly survived a crucial vote in the National Assembly for the 2026 budget bill, which passed with 247 votes in favor and 234 against. The legislation now heads to the Senate before a final Assembly reading, marking a vital win for Lecornu as he faces a divided parliament. Despite significant concessions to the Socialist Party, some critics viewed the bill as insufficient to address France's growing fiscal challenges.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu narrowly survived a crucial test on Tuesday as the country's divided parliament voted in favour of a 2026 budget bill.

If Lecornu had failed to win a majority in the National Assembly for his social security budget, it would have gravely weakened his hand ahead of the main budget vote due by the end of the year.

However, the bill passed by 247 votes to 234. It will now go back to the upper house or Senate before returning for a final reading in the Assembly.

It's a good sign that a majority has been found. The immense likelihood now is that the (social security budget) will be adopted definitively, said Assembly speaker Yael Braun-Pivet.

Appointed in September by President Emmanuel Macron, Lecornu has devoted himself primarily to navigating the complex legislative landscape for 2026 budget legislation through the two parliamentary chambers.

Following snap elections called by Macron in June 2024, the National Assembly has been split into three roughly equal blocs - centre, left, and far-right - making it challenging to secure majority support.

Lecornu is Macron's fourth prime minister since the elections, as previous incumbents were forced to resign after unsuccessfully managing France's mounting debt issues. His predecessor, Michel Barnier, stepped down after failing to advance the 2025 social security budget.

In France, budgetary laws cover various sectors, with the social security budget encompassing hospitals and pensions, while the principal budget covers defense and education. Both have operated at significant deficits for years.

Lecornu's strategy involved gaining support from deputies across 11 different parliamentary groups, warning that failing to approve the budgets would exacerbate the country's financial difficulties.

His primary objective included securing votes from the Socialist Party, which has about 70 MPs, many of whom have expressed discomfort over their previous alliance with the far-left France Unbowed party.

In a significant compromise, Lecornu agreed to suspend the proposed increase of the statutory retirement age to 64 and pledged not to use a government mechanism to force the budget laws through without a vote.

Socialist leaders Olivier Faure and Boris Vallaud commended Lecornu's ability to cooperate and urged their MPs to back the budget.

However, this compromise drew criticism from right-wing figures, including former Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who characterized the bill as ineffective in addressing France's pressing public financial issues.

Bruno Retailleau, leader of the conservative Republican party, denounced the bill as a fiscal hold-up due to its concessions, while far-left LFI member Mathilde Panot accused the Socialists of abandoning their principles.

Despite this backlash, Lercon's victory on Tuesday was seen as a testament to his tenacious, vote-seeking efforts across the political spectrum, but the focus now shifts to the impending main budget vote set to occur before the year's end. Failure to pass this vote could lead to the introduction of a special law to maintain state administration through the previous year's allocations.