Sébastien Lecornu Invokes Article 49.3 to Force French 2026 Budget

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu invoked Article 49.3 of the French Constitution to force the passage of the 2026 budget following a collapse in parliamentary negotiations.The minority government faces potential collapse on Friday as the National Rally and La France Insoumise prepare no-confidence motions in response to the bypass of a formal vote.This austerity budget aims to reduce the national deficit to 5 percent of the GDP while including social concessions to attract support from the Socialist Party.