Sébastien Lecornu Invokes Article 49.3 to Force 2026 French Budget Adoption

Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu invoked Article 49.3 to pass the 2026 French budget without a vote after negotiations in the National Assembly reached a stalemate.The government offered concessions to the Socialist Party, including subsidized student meals and the suspension of pension reforms, to avoid a successful no-confidence motion by opposition parties.This move seeks to reduce the national deficit to 5 percent of the GDP through a surtax on big business while navigating a political crisis that has gripped France since 2024.