rki.news
Paris: The French government, led by Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, has survived two no-confidence motions in the National Assembly amid a heated dispute over the 2026 state budget.
The motions were submitted earlier this week by opposition parties from both the left and the right. Left-wing groups, including La France Insoumise, the Democratic and Republican Left (GDR), and the Ecologists, accused the government of bypassing parliamentary procedure. A separate motion was introduced by the far-right National Rally and its ally, the Union of the Right for the Republic (UDR).
The left-backed motion secured 269 votes, falling 19 short of the 288 required to bring down the government, according to official results. The right-wing motion received 142 votes, well below the necessary threshold. As a result, both motions were rejected, allowing the government to remain in office.
The controversy centers on Lecornu’s decision to invoke Article 49.3 of the French Constitution, a provision that allows the government to pass legislation without a parliamentary vote. The Prime Minister used the measure to advance the revenue component of the 2026 budget in an effort to break the legislative deadlock.
With the no-confidence motions defeated, the government is expected to invoke Article 49.3 again to approve the expenditure section of the budget bill. The legislation will then move to the Senate before returning to the National Assembly.
Lecornu’s minority administration continues to face significant challenges in a deeply divided parliament, where recent budget disputes have already led to the fall of previous governments.