French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu defends his government in the National Assembly after surviving two no-confidence votes in Paris. Image: AAP News.
(The Post News)– France’s political turmoil ebbed on Thursday when two no-confidence motions were beaten by Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, saving his shaky government and providing President Emmanuel Macron with a temporary reprieve before an even more testing budget struggle.
Legislators in the National Assembly voted down both motions, one from the hard-left France Unbowed (La France Insoumise) and one from the far-right National Rally. The first motion garnered 271 votes, only 18 short of the 289 needed to topple Lecornu, while the RN motion received 144 votes.
Lecornu’s experience showed the deep fissures within Macron’s minority government, which has struggled to pass key reforms since the snap election of last year took away a full majority in parliament.
Lecornu Wins by Conceding pensions.
In a speech before the vote to lawmakers, Lecornu warned them that rejecting his government would “throw France into political chaos.” Additionally, to gain key Socialist support, he promised to put Macron’s pension reform plan, raising the retirement age to 64 from 62, on hold.
The temporary dissolution provided him with breathing space, but not stability. Seven Socialist MPs defied party orders and voted against the government, leaving next week’s budget debate with a tough ride. Macron’s move in 2024 to dissolve parliament was behind today’s gridlock. His centrist bloc lost its majority, leaving the chamber evenly split between three large blocs, left, right, and center, none of which can govern alone.
The constitution that the French built to underpin presidential rule by Charles de Gaulle now groans under the weight of coalition politics. Every significant ballot is now a tense balancing act, diminishing France’s reputation as a bastion of stability in the eurozone.
Lecornu is now confronted with his greatest challenge to date: forcing his way through a 2026 national budget by December 31. The plan is to reduce the deficit to 4.7% of GDP from 5.4% by reducing expenditure by €30 billion and adjusting taxation.
With less than 200 seats, Lecornu must win the backing of Socialists (69 seats) or conservatives (50 seats). They both come at a cost. Socialists want a billionaires’ tax, while conservatives demand more budget cuts. “Our opposition to toppling the government does not amount to a vote of confidence in its policy,” Socialist MP Laurent Baumel said. “We demand true social and fiscal justice.”
Pension Reform Divides France
Macron’s pension bill, pushed through parliament in 2023 using Article 49.3 to bypass a vote, sparked mass protests and national strikes. Delaying the reform today would cost the government €400 million in 2026 and €1.8 billion by 2027, which it would need to recover from somewhere else.
The pension issue is still very much at center stage in French politics, representing the tension between fiscal reform and social protection. Despite Thursday’s win, Lecornu remains on shaky ground. “This government hangs on borrowed time,” warned France Unbowed’s Éric Coquerel. “The real fight begins with the budget.”
Yal Braun-Pivet, the Chairman of the National Assembly, called for unity and emphasized the importance of presenting a credible budget for France’s future. So far, Macron and Lecornu have survived, but both are aware that the coming weeks may determine if France gets back on track or falls again into political gridlock.
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