"France's new Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu Friday promised the opposition not to ram his austerity budget through parliament without a vote, in an apparent bid to avoid a no-confidence motion like the one that toppled his predecessor last month. He spoke as French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to name a new cabinet under Lecornu this weekend to try to resolve a deepening political crisis."
"Lecornu, a close Macron ally who previously headed the defence ministry, pledged not to use a controversial article of the constitution that allows a government to push a law through parliament without a vote. Previous heads of government have used article 49.3 to greenlight the last three budgets since Macron was re-elected for a second term in 2022, as well as a deeply unpopular pensions reform in 2023."
""I have decided to forego the use of article 49.3 of the constitution," he told the press before meeting politicians from the centre-left and far right. But he urged all political sides to make a gesture "to move the country forward" and ensure the country had a 2026 budget by December. Lecornu's predecessors, Francois Bayrou and Michel Barnier, were both ousted in a standoff over France's budget in the lower house."
Sebastien Lecornu pledged not to use article 49.3 of the constitution to force the austerity budget through parliament and sought a parliamentary vote. Emmanuel Macron is expected to name a new cabinet under Lecornu this weekend to address the political crisis. Lecornu urged all political sides to make a gesture to move the country forward and aimed to secure a 2026 budget by December. Previous governments used article 49.3 to pass recent budgets and a pensions reform, generating controversy. The centre-left Socialist party warned it may withhold support over austerity measures. France faces high public debt after years of overspending and critics say proposed cuts would hurt the poorest.
Read at The Local France
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