Television screens broadcast France's Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's speech, in Paris on January 16, 2026. JULIEN DE ROSA / AFP
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu is set to ram his budget bill through Parliament without a vote, government sources told Le Monde on Monday, January 19, after weeks of stalled negotiations. As a result, the premier risks exposing himself to a non-confidence vote, but he is counting on the support of a key swing group in the lower chamber to survive.
Lecornu last year had pledged to seek Parliament approval for a 2026 austerity budget and not force it into law, in a bid to avoid the fate of his two predecessors, who were ousted over budget negotiations. He managed to get a bill on social security spending approved by year's end, but lawmakers have failed to reach a compromise on state expenses.
Lecornu's center-right government said last week it would be "impossible" to adopt a 2026 austerity budget by vote. Any use of "Article 49.3," a constitutional power to push legislation through the Assemblée Nationale without a vote, can trigger a no-confidence vote, which can topple the government. The hard-left La France Insoumise party swiftly announced it would table such a motion.
