France’s new Prime Minister, Sebastien Lecornu, has just survived his first big test in parliament, but his life is not going to get easier any time soon. Yesterday, legislators attempted twice to expel him from office, and both times he stuck to his position by a hair’s breadth. Now comes the really tough bit: getting all of them to agree on next year’s budget.
Lecornu became prime minister just four days ago, but already he’s had to do a huge amount of deal-making in order to remain in office. He promised to reverse President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reforms that had caused people to work longer before they could retire. That vow earned him the support of the Socialist Party, which was sufficient to prevent his being expelled from office.
The vote against him received 271 votes, but required 289 actually to get rid of him. That was close, missing by a mere 18 votes from losing everything. A second effort by Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally party didn’t receive as much support, but still showed just how precarious things are.
The Pension Problem That Won’t Go Away
The pension problem has been a thorn in the side of French leaders for years. Earlier in 1982, France reduced the retirement age to 60, and everyone valued it. Macron, however, wanted to increase the age to 64 by 2030, stating that the country could no longer afford to have the existing system. There are multiple other European countries with such high or higher retirement ages.
On average, French people retire at around 60 years of age, but in most developed nations, people continue working until they are more than 64. However, French workers and unions opposed the change vigorously as it was seen as taking something away from them. Today, Lecornu has agreed to suspend this reform to save his government. This means one of Macron’s greatest achievements could vanish entirely. After eight years as president, Macron is watching his main domestic achievement fall apart.
What Happens Next
The real fight starts now. Lecornu needs to get parliament to approve a budget for 2026, and it won’t be easy. The budget discussions begin Monday in the finance committee, and they could last for weeks. During this whole time, opposition parties could try again to remove Lecornu from office. The Socialist Party, which just assisted in saving him, is already demanding more.
They’re requesting that a billionaire’s special tax be added to the budget. They’ve stated outright that they’re not guaranteeing they’ll back Lecornu on anything else. Socialist MP Laurent Baumel informed parliament outright that saving the government this time “is by no means a pact” and they’re “not committing to anything.”
The budget presented is trying to reduce more than 30 billion euros in expenses. France’s deficit, the difference between how much the government spends and how much it makes, is projected at 5.4% for this year. Lecornu hopes to reduce it to 4.7% in one year from now.
France’s Deep Political Divide
These figures concern financial professionals since France is spending much more than it is earning. Hard-left legislator Eric Coquerel, chairman of the finance committee, posted on social media that “The Lecornu government is on borrowed time. The battle over the budget begins.” Marine Le Pen party leader Jordan Bardella, remarked that the government was saved only because it made behind-the-scenes deals at the expense of the country’s interests.
France’s parliament is divided into three main parties that do not see eye to eye. The far left desires more social expenditure and taxing the rich. The centre, in which Macron resides, wishes for budget austerity and pro-business policies. The far right hopes for limits on immigration and nationalist economic policies. It is impossible to get any two of these factions to agree on anything.
This is why France has been burdened with ineffective, temporary governments that are barely able to enact legislation. If Lecornu loses the next vote, he and all of his ministers would have to resign. Macron would then come under massive pressure to hold fresh elections, which might make the situation even more messy. Financial markets remained unchanged following Thursday’s votes since investors were confident that Lecornu would ride out the storm. But everybody knows the real test is yet to come.
News At Glance
- Prime Minister Lecornu scraped through two votes of no confidence by just 18 votes
- He vowed to freeze Macron’s pension reform, raising the retirement age to 64.
- Strenuous budget talks begin on Monday with 30 billion euros worth of cuts on the table.
- Socialist Party calls for a billionaire tax and vows no future guarantees of support.
- France’s parliament is still divided into three rival groups, making any consensus impossible.
FAQs
- Why did French lawmakers attempt to oust the new Prime Minister?
Opposition parties demanded concessions on pension reforms and budget cuts prior to backing the government.
- What is the issue with pension reform?
A: Macron increased the retirement age from 62 to 64, which annoyed French workers.
- Can Lecornu be ousted from office still?
Yes, opposition parties can pass another no-confidence vote at any time during budget talks.
- How bad is France’s budget deficit?
It’s at present 5.4% of GDP, and the government intends to take it down to 4.7%.
- What if the Prime Minister loses a future vote?
He and all the ministers have to resign immediately, leaving President Macron to put another government together.
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