French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has survived two no-confidence votes in the National Assembly, securing his fragile minority government after a closer-than-expected result. The first motion, tabled by the left-wing La France Insoumise, garnered 271 votes — 18 short of the 289 needed to topple the government. A second motion from Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally received 144 votes.
Lecornu's survival hinged on a last-minute concession to suspend President Emmanuel Macron's controversial pension reforms, which had begun raising the retirement age from 62 to 64. The Socialist party leadership refrained from supporting the no-confidence motion after Lecornu announced the freeze, though seven Socialist lawmakers broke ranks and voted against the government.
Addressing parliament, Lecornu urged lawmakers to choose “parliamentary debate” on next year's budget over “political chaos”. The government now faces the daunting task of passing a 2026 budget for the EU's second-largest economy through a bitterly divided lower house by 31 December.
The close vote underscores the precarious position of Lecornu's administration, which was appointed only days ago. Analysts note that the narrow margin highlights the challenges ahead as the government prepares for months of fierce budget negotiations.
