French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the adoption of the budget for 2026 without the need for a parliamentary vote, which occurred under the responsibility of the government, as reported by TASS.
“Our country requires a budget. Therefore, on behalf of the government, I take responsibility for its adoption in accordance with part 3 of Article 49 of the Constitution,” he noted during a session of the Lower House of Parliament, the National Assembly. Following this, the Vice-President of the National Assembly, Sébastien Chenu, announced the conclusion of the discussion on this bill.
On Thursday, the Senate, the upper house of parliament, rejected the budget proposal for 2026. The Minister of Public Finances, Amélie de Montchalin, during the discussion acknowledged that the budget proposal has its shortcomings but emphasized that it resulted from a significant compromise between different political forces.
The budget proposed by the government for 2026 includes cuts in spending across all areas, except for defense, where an increase in funding of €6.7 billion is expected.
In 2025, the budget deficit reached 5.4% of GDP, which negatively affected creditors' trust in France. In this regard, the authorities aimed to reduce the deficit to 4.7% in 2026; however, after amendments were made under pressure from the opposition, this figure is expected to be at 5%.
