France Passes 2026 Budget After No-Confidence Rejections

France's minority government secured passage of its delayed 2026 budget on February 2, 2026, after lawmakers rejected two no-confidence motions that threatened to topple Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's administration. The votes, held in the National Assembly, marked the end of months of parliamentary deadlock in Paris, allowing the legislation to advance toward final enactment.

The motions, one from left-wing groups excluding the Socialists and another from the far-right National Rally, received 260 and 135 votes respectively, short of the 289 needed to pass. Lecornu invoked Article 49.3 of the constitution last week for the third time in the process, forcing the budget through without a direct vote. This mechanism, which guarantees adoption unless a no-confidence motion succeeds, drew criticism from opponents but ensured survival of the government. The budget now awaits review by the Constitutional Council, which will strike any unconstitutional provisions before it takes effect around February 10, roughly 40 days behind schedule.

Negotiations for the 2026 budget began on July 15, 2025, under then-Prime Minister François Bayrou, amid efforts to address France's strained...