French Government Sidesteps No-Confidence Vote, Eyes On 2026 Budget

The French government overcame the first of two no-confidence votes in parliament, a crucial step towards enacting the 2026 budget. The motion by France Unbowed was supported by 260 lawmakers but fell short of the 289 needed. Another vote by the National Rally is expected later.

The French government has successfully navigated the first of two critical no-confidence motions in parliament, positioning itself closer to implementing the 2026 budget.

Monday's motion was initiated by the hard-left political party, France Unbowed (LFI), gaining the backing of 260 lawmakers. This fell short of the 289 votes necessary to overthrow the administration.

Should the government also survive the subsequent no-confidence motion, lodged by the far-right National Rally (RN) later on Monday, it will secure its path to finalizing the 2026 budget. The government has previously weathered several no-confidence challenges in recent months related to various parts of the proposed budget.

(With inputs from agencies.)