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French Government Survives Confidence Votes Over 49.3 Budget Push

Socialists withheld support after concessions, leaving the government to press budget passage via Article 49.3.

Overview

  • The National Assembly rejected two no-confidence motions, with 269 votes for a left-backed bid and 142 for a far-right bid, both short of the 288 needed.
  • After the failed motions, the revenue component of the 2026 budget stands, with spending and the overall budget to be advanced next under Article 49.3.
  • Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu plans three 49.3 invocations in total for revenue, spending, and the full budget, with final adoption expected in early February.
  • Lecornu defended reversing his prior pledge not to use 49.3 as a last-resort step following more than 350 hours of parliamentary debate.
  • To secure Socialist non-support, the government pledged to keep a special tax on large companies and maintain €1 subsidized student meals, while emphasizing deficit reduction under record debt of about 117% of GDP.