French government likely to survive budget showdown after socialist concessions

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu appears set to survive upcoming no-confidence votes over his government’s budget plans after the Socialist Party signaled it would not support efforts to topple the administration.

Socialist leader Olivier Faure said on January 20 that his party would not join no-confidence motions brought by the far-left France Unbowed or the far-right National Rally, following concessions offered by the government last week. These include €1 lunches for university students and increased spending on social housing, Politico writes. 

“Our conditions for not censuring [the government] have been fulfilled,” Faure said on French radio.

France’s political extremes lack sufficient numbers in parliament to bring down the government without support from more centrist opposition parties, making the Socialists’ position pivotal.

On January 19, Lecornu announced he would invoke Article 49.3 of the French constitution — a controversial mechanism allowing legislation to pass without a parliamentary vote — to finalize the country’s budget after months of political deadlock.

France entered the new year without an approved budget after lawmakers failed to reach agreement in December. However, the country avoided a U.S.-style government shutdown by rolling over last year’s budget into 2026.

Under Article 49.3, the government can enact legislation without a vote, but opposition lawmakers are then allowed to respond by tabling motions of no confidence. Lecornu is expected to trigger the procedure on January 20 for the portion of the budget dealing with tax revenue. No-confidence votes are likely to be held on January 23.

If the government survives, it will immediately invoke Article 49.3 again to pass the second part of the budget covering spending, according to Lecornu’s office. A parliamentary adviser said the government aims to complete the process by January 30.

Although the full text of the budget has not yet been made public, Budget Minister Amélie de Montchalin said on January 19 that the plan would reduce France’s chronically high budget deficit to at least 5 percent of gross domestic product this year.

The target would be achieved through €2 billion in unspecified savings by state agencies and other public bodies, as well as by extending a tax on 300 large companies that was originally introduced as a temporary measure in 2025, de Montchalin said.

By Sabina Mammadli