French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has dodged disaster twice in just days on the job. Thanks to last-minute concessions, he survived two no-confidence votes triggered by President Emmanuel Macron’s hot-button pension reforms. But amid the cheers, Lecornu now faces mounting pressure over a looming 2026 budget crisis threatening to shake the government once again.
How Lecornu Pulled Off a Last-Minute Lifeline
The closest no-confidence vote, kicked off by the hard-left France Unbowed party, fell 18 votes short in the 577-seat National Assembly. Only 271 deputies backed the motion—well below the 289 needed to topple Lecornu’s shaky administration. A second attempt from Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally fared even worse, gathering just 144 votes.
Lecornu’s salvation came after he promised to freeze Macron’s controversial pension reform, which plans to hike the retirement age from 62 to 64. This key promise wooed the Socialist Party’s 69 deputies, tipping the balance in his favour.
“We will not vote for a no-confidence motion at this stage,” declared Socialist spokesperson Dieynaba Diop. But party leader Olivier Faure warned, “We’re ready to back future censure if the government’s budget fails the less fortunate.”
The Prime Minister also pledged not to invoke Article 49.3 — Macron’s weapon of choice that pushes laws through parliament without a vote, previously used to force the pension reform despite mass protests.
Macron’s Popularity Hits Rock Bottom Amid Fallout
But the victory comes at a high price for Macron, whose approval ratings have plunged to a historic low of just 14%. He is now the most unpopular president in the Fifth Republic’s history. Pausing the pension reform chips away at one of his few major domestic wins after eight turbulent years.
Lecornu now faces a colossal task: passing a €30bn (£26bn) deficit-shredding budget. France’s public deficit hit 5.8% of GDP in 2024—well above the EU’s 3% limit. The government wants to slash this to 4.7% by cutting spending on healthcare and local services. Opposition parties have slammed the plan as a brutal attack on public services and the vulnerable.
Marine Le Pen blasted the parliament for supporting Lecornu, accusing them of being driven by “terror of elections” and vowing she’ll strike hard as the 2027 presidential race heats up.
Even centre-right party Les Républicains offered only tentative support. Leader Laurent Wauquiez said, “France needs stability, a government, and a budget,” but his backing remains fragile as budget battles loom.
Political Chaos in France Sends Shockwaves Across Europe
The drama in Paris has not gone unnoticed. Veteran commentator Alain Minc slammed Macron as “the worst president of the Fifth Republic.” He argued Macron’s promise to block the far right has backfired, instead opening the door for National Rally to inch closer to power.
“Germans fear a French collapse hurting the economy, Brits worry about strategic fallout, and Italians just laugh at us,” Minc warned, highlighting Europe’s growing concern over French instability.
The International Monetary Fund has forecast sluggish 0.8% growth for France in 2025, with rising debt interest payments squeezing government spending further.
Lecornu, noted previously as France’s shortest-serving prime minister, told MPs: “History will judge harshly those using the National Assembly as a platform for posturing.” The Assembly remains split nearly evenly among centre-right, left-wing, and far-right factions, echoing the gridlocked politics of France’s pre-1958 Fourth Republic.
Countdown to Budget Showdown
In the coming weeks, Lecornu must push his budget through parliament without wielding the heavy-handed Article 49.3. Socialists are demanding a billionaire wealth tax and opposing cuts, setting the stage for fierce parliamentary showdowns. Each vote could determine if Lecornu’s government survives this political storm.
France now faces a reckoning. Whether it ends in fresh elections or fragile governance, the nation’s stability—and its standing in the European Union—hangs precariously as economic and social pressures mount.
