Lecornu Urges Swift Action on French Budget Amid Parliamentary Challenges

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is pressing lawmakers to approve the 2026 budget by the year's end after the divided lower house rejected parts of it. He emphasized the necessity of cooperation to prevent a budgetary deadlock and maintain fiscal goals under President Emmanuel Macron's minority government.

French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is urging lawmakers to finalize the 2026 budget by the end of the year after facing setbacks in the lower house of parliament, which rejected tax aspects of the legislation.

Lecornu highlighted the urgency of passing the budget, encouraging opposition lawmakers to refrain from obstructing the process as the legislation moves to the Senate for further consideration. He emphasized the importance of stabilizing the government's fiscal objectives amid a fragmented parliament, where the opposition is eager to exploit any missteps.

Despite hurdles, Lecornu remains optimistic, stating, "This is an alert for the future... but yes we can do it." He plans to engage with political parties to secure agreement and aims to keep the deficit below 5% of GDP for the coming year's budget. The draft budget seeks to curb the deficit through significant savings and tax increases, with changes anticipated in parliament due to lack of majority support.

(With inputs from agencies.)