France’s left to table no-confidence motion against Lecornu government

The parliamentary faction of the left-wing party France Unbowed has announced plans to submit a motion of no confidence against the government to the National Assembly, the lower house of the French Parliament.

The announcement was made by the head of the faction, Mathilde Panot, whose remarks were broadcast by the BFMTV television channel.

“The only remaining way to counter this government is to hold a vote of no confidence,” Panot declared, following the rejection by lawmakers of a leftist proposal to include an additional tax on France’s wealthiest citizens in the 2026 state budget bill—a measure opposed by the Cabinet. She also called on President Emmanuel Macron to resign.

According to Panot, the presidential ruling coalition has shown no willingness to cooperate with the left-wing opposition or engage in meaningful dialogue.

Earlier, Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s cabinet had made concessions to the Socialist Party by agreeing to suspend the unpopular 2023 pension reform, which raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. In return, the Socialists refrained from supporting a previous no-confidence motion, allowing Lecornu’s government to survive.

Prior reports indicated that President Macron would immediately dissolve parliament if a no-confidence vote were to pass against Lecornu’s government.

Macron reappointed Lecornu as Prime Minister on October 11, only days after he had tendered his resignation. Lecornu said he accepted the reappointment “out of a sense of duty” to help resolve the ongoing political crisis. He had stepped down on October 6, just one month after taking office, citing internal party disagreements.

Recent polls have shown that President Emmanuel Macron has become the least popular of France’s current presidents.

By Tamilla Hasanova