France's 2025 budget approved without parliamentary vote

French Prime Minister François Bayrou has pushed through the 2025 state budget without parliamentary approval, invoking Article 49.3 of the French Constitution.

This constitutional provision allows the government to adopt a budget without a parliamentary vote unless a motion of no confidence is passed, Caliber.Az reports, citing French media.

This marks the first time in the 70-year history of the Fifth Republic that France has entered February without an approved budget. “No state in the world can function without a budget. We have done everything possible to break the deadlock,” Bayrou said, defending the government’s decision amid mounting political tensions.

The use of Article 49.3 has reignited fierce debate within France’s political landscape. The procedure grants opposition parties the right to call for a vote of no confidence, a move that previously led to the dismissal of Michel Barnier’s government after a failed attempt to pass the budget using the same mechanism.

However, Bayrou remains confident that history will not repeat itself, citing deep divisions within the Socialist Party that could prevent a successful no-confidence vote.

“The opposition is fragmented, and the conditions are not the same as they were under Barnier’s leadership,” he noted.

The 2025 budget includes €32 billion in spending cuts and €21 billion in tax increases, aiming to reduce the public deficit to 5.4%. To secure support, Bayrou negotiated concessions worth €6 billion with the Socialist Party, focusing on areas such as healthcare and education. 

By Khagan Isayev