France's Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu speaks during a session of questions to the government at the Assemblée Nationale, France's lower house parliament, Paris, December 23, 2025. THOMAS SAMSON / AFP
French lawmakers on Tuesday, December 23, passed last-minute legislation to keep the government in business into January after the divided legislature failed to agree a full budget for the coming year.
The legislation was passed by the lower house of parliament earlier Tuesday before being passed by the Sénat late in the evening.
Bickering lawmakers had been racing to agree on a budget by year-end, as the eurozone's second largest economy faces mounting pressure to control its deficit and soaring debt. But parliament's lower house – increasingly divided since snap elections last year – only managed to agree on half of the two-part budget after two and a half months of debates.
Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu submitted a "special law" for the state to continue to collect taxes and pay civil servants based on the 2025 budget from January 1. However, it does not allow for new spending, including on defense, a mounting priority in the face of a confrontation with Russia over Ukraine.
