French government forces 2026 budget through parliament amid censure threats

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu on Tuesday invoked Article 49.3 of the Constitution to push through the revenue section of the 2026 state budget, prompting opposition parties from both the left and the far right to table motions of no confidence.

The constitutional mechanism allows the government to adopt legislation without a parliamentary vote unless a motion of censure is approved by the National Assembly.

Two no-confidence motions -- one filed by the far-right National Rally and another jointly submitted by the left-wing France Unbowed, the Greens and the Communist Party -- are expected to be debated on Friday, according to parliamentary sources.

Speaking from the assembly podium, Lecornu said the budget text had become "no longer passable" due to what he described as obstruction by several political groups, French broadcaster BFMTV reported. He added that those responsible "will have to answer for it before history."

The motions are widely viewed as unlikely to succeed, as the Socialist Party has said it will not support efforts to bring down the government. Party leader Olivier Faure said the Socialists' conditions for allowing the budget to proceed had largely been met.

Government spokesperson Maud Bregeon defended the draft budget, saying it does not include tax increases for households or higher labor costs. "This is not a budget of fiscal harassment, neither for households nor for businesses," she said, adding that the mandatory levy rate in 2026 would be lower than in 2019.

President Emmanuel Macron also backed the proposal, saying it would help keep the public deficit at around 5% of gross domestic product and "allow the country to move forward."

Opposition leaders sharply criticized the move. France Unbowed parliamentary leader Mathilde Panot accused the government of "lying" after previously pledging not to use Article 49.3, while National Rally lawmakers said they believe the final text would raise taxes on middle-income households.

If either no-confidence motion were adopted, it would force the government to resign and lead to the rejection of the budget bill.