Lecornu Renounces Article 49.3 to Pass 2026 French Budget
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu pledged not to use constitutional powers to force the 2026 budget through parliament, seeking compromise to avoid a no-confidence vote.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu announced on October 3, 2025, that he will not invoke Article 49.3 of the Constitution to pass the 2026 budget. This constitutional mechanism allows a government to bypass a parliamentary vote, a tool used 27 times since 2022 and employed by Lecornu's predecessor, François Bayrou, before his government fell.
Speaking from the Hôtel Matignon in Paris, Lecornu sought to avoid the undemocratic perception of forcing legislation through a fragmented National Assembly. To secure support and prevent a no-confidence motion, he proposed fiscal shifts including a financial wealth tax, improved pensions for women, and the removal of lifelong perks for former officials. He explicitly rejected the Zucman tax proposed by the left but expressed openness to improving pension reforms and taxing the wealthiest 0.1% of society.
Opposition leaders responded with cautious skepticism. Marine Le Pen of the National Rally and Socialist leader Olivier Faure welcomed the move as a sign of respect for democracy, though Faure described the budget draft as alarming and inadequate. Le Pen warned that the government faces certain censure without a significant policy rupture. Meanwhile, the radical left-wing party La France Insoumise intends to file a no-confidence motion immediately after the government's formal appointment.
Lecornu expects to nominate his ministers over the weekend and deliver a general policy speech to the National Assembly next week.
