French premier invokes Article 49.3 for 3rd time to push through 2026 budget

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Friday invoked Article 49.3 of the Constitution for the third and last time to push through the 2026 state budget.

"France must have a budget. And therefore, before this chamber, I am engaging the responsibility of the government on the entirety of the Finance Bill (PLF) for 2026, on the basis of Article 49 of the Constitution," Lecornu told lawmakers at the National Assembly.

After four months of intense parliamentary debates, the latest use of Article 49.3 marks the imminent end of a long political standoff over the 2026 finance bill, broadcaster BFMTV reported.

Left-wing party La France Insoumise (LFI) has already confirmed it will file a motion of no confidence, to be defended by the Democratic and Republican Left group. If the pattern seen during the previous two uses of Article 49.3 is repeated, the far-right National Rally is also expected to submit a motion of no confidence.

The motions are, however, widely expected to be rejected without the backing of other opposition parties. Following the vote scheduled for Monday, Feb. 2, the state budget is expected to be definitively adopted shortly thereafter.

On Tuesday, the National Assembly rejected no-confidence motions filed by LFI and the National Rally over the "spending" section of the 2026 budget after Lecornu invoked Article 49.3.

Lecornu had previously pledged not to resort to Article 49.3 to force the budget through, giving lawmakers unusual latitude to amend the bill but increasing the risk of legislative deadlock.