Three months later of his appointment as French Prime MinisterSébastien Lecornu has achieved what the two previous prime ministers failed to do: pass the budget and provide a degree of political stability in France. His arrival as prime minister It was very controversialBut he has been able—against all odds—to provide the country with a budget essential for its economic stability and to avoid a vote of no confidence. The two motions rejected Monday night by the National Assembly were the final obstacle for the budget. "We can turn the page," summarized a Macronist deputy.

The government of Sébastien Lecornu survived two no-confidence motions on Monday over the budget bill. "It's time to turn the page and for France to have a budget," the French prime minister declared in the National Assembly. The debate surrounding the public accounts, which had kept France on the brink of another government collapse, has dominated much of the executive's political activity since Lecornu's appointment last September. To break the deadlock, Lecornu made several concessions to the Socialist Party, securing their support for the no-confidence motion brought by the left. The Socialists' votes were crucial for its success, but, as expected, it was ultimately defeated, receiving only 260 of the 289 votes needed. In addition to this motion, the French prime minister also faced another proposal from the far right, which, with 135 votes in favor, also failed to garner the necessary support to pass. Now, the accounts will have to be approved by the Constitutional Council.

The newspaper Le Monde Just a few days ago, I lamented that French politics has become stuck in a Groundhog Day scenario, trapped in an endless loop trying to pass budgets that never actually get voted on. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed this Monday that, after months of negotiations and parliamentary debates, he will ultimately not submit the 2026 budget to a vote in the National Assembly. Lacking a parliamentary majority, the government will pass it using a constitutional tool—the now-famous Article 49.3 of the Constitution—which allows for the passage of important laws without parliamentary approval. However, this also exposes him to a vote of no confidence.

Since being appointed prime minister, budgets have been a major headache for Sébastien Lecornu, to the point that finding common ground with partners has become difficult. This led to his brief resignation in October.After this brief resignation, and urged on by President Emmanuel Macron, he resumed the reins of government, assuring that he would do "everything in his power to provide France with a budget before the end of the year and respond to the everyday problems of his fellow citizens." A week before the end of the year, and in the last parliamentary session before the summer recess, the French Prime Minister acknowledged the defeat and He has had to settle for crumbs.The National Assembly approved a special law on Tuesday—presented by the executive branch on Monday—that allows the government to continue collecting taxes and allocating funds to local authorities, and authorizes the state to borrow on the markets and pay France's contribution to the budget. In short, it allows for the maintenance of a minimum level of functioning before parliamentary activity resumes in January and Lecornu can negotiate the 2026 budget with the opposition. The text, which consists of three articles, was approved unanimously: 496 votes in favor and none against. The next step will be its approval in the Senate, which is expected to do so tonight. "The least bad solution"

The government sees this option as "the least bad solution," since it will have a minimum cost of 12 billion euros. But the extension suspends new investments and planned projects until new budgets are adopted, such as subsidies for housing renovations and for winegrowers, the hiring of teachers and judicial sector workers, or tenders, many of which were to finance projects related to the commitments of the 2030 Agenda. The minister that France has in three years faces the challenge of securing a new budget for 2026 with a very weak parliamentary base. which rests on specific supports from the traditional right and the socialists in exchange for concessionsThe opposition already forced him to to reverse the pension reform in October —the flagship measure of Macron's mandate— and France Unsubmissive has already warned that it will propose a motion of no confidence like the one that brought down his predecessor, Michel Barnier, if Lecornu decides to approve the budget unilaterally, through the controversial Article 49.3. A budget that will be even more difficult to negotiate given that France has committed to increasing defense spending and reducing the deficit to 5% of GDP.

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The French Parliament is divided into three similarly sized blocs. The left: the New Popular Front, 180 seats. The right: the National Regrouping, 142; the Republicans, 39; other right-wing parties, 27; total, 208. The center: the Ensemble, 159; others, 30; total, 189. This had never happened in the Fifth Republic, which was built on a two-party political structure. And Macron should be president of the entire state, not the leader of a political movement. This is his mistake, and he doesn't know how to escape it.

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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has narrowly escaped censure. The National Assembly narrowly rejected the motion of no confidence presented by the radical left on Thursday: the motion was voted on by 271 deputies, 18 short of the 289 needed to bring down the government. The Socialists and the right decided not to vote on it, although some rebel deputies from both parties chose to disobey their party's mandate. Shortly after, a second motion of no confidence presented by the far right was also rejected.

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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has saved the first hurdle. The no-confidence motions threatening his government won't be voted on until Thursday, but the Socialists, who hold the key to saving or bringing down the government, have hinted that they will not vote in favor following Lecornu's announcement to suspend the pension reform. During his first speech in the National Assembly, the prime minister pledged to pause President Macron's reform, the main demand of the left.

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The second government led by Sébastien Lecornu, appointed this Sunday, has already lasted more hours than the first one – which was only in force for 14 hours –, but it could go down in history as the second shortest of the Fifth Republic if either of the two motions of no confidence presented this Monday by the National Rally (RN), the far-right party of Marine Le Pen, and by La France Insoumise (LFI), the party considered to be radical left-wing and led by Jean-Luc Mélenchon, succeed. Both motions will be voted on this week, probably on Thursday, and it is not unlikely that one of the two will be approved.

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French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu appointed his new government on Sunday night, just a week after announcing his first government, made up of almost the same ministers as the previous government, which was overthrown by the National Assembly. It was a monumental mistake that unleashed a chaotic week. That government was widely criticized by all opposition parties, who threatened to censure him and forced Lecornu to resign. A week later, the prime minister, reappointed by President Macron on Friday, presented an executive with new faces and a low political profile. Both Marine Le Pen's National Rally and La France Insoumise, however, have already threatened to censure him again this Monday.

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President Emmanuel Macron surprised everyone on Friday evening by reappointing Sébastien Lecornu as prime minister. Four days earlier, Lecornu had resigned in the face of the threat of a vote of no confidence and an attempt to leave the executive of one of the governing partners, the Les Republicans (LR). He had appointed his government just 14 hours earlier. The president's reappointment of him to head the government has not been well received by the opposition parties: the day after his appointment, his position was already in jeopardy.

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France will have to wait at least until Friday to find out whether it will have a new government or whether the President of the Republic will call early legislative elections. This Wednesday evening, the deadline for resigned Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu to reach an agreement with the parties to form a government and approve the 2026 budget was due, but it was not possible to close the deal within such a tight timeframe. The acting Prime Minister told President Macron that negotiations are on track and that an agreement and a new Prime Minister could be reached "within 48 hours." The Élysée Palace subsequently confirmed in a statement that the President will appoint the Prime Minister by Friday at the latest.

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President Emmanuel Macron finds himself at the most critical moment since he took up residence in the Élysée Palace. After seeing five prime ministers come and go in just two years, the situation is becoming unsustainable. He hasn't spoken publicly for days—his explanations for the entire chaos on Monday, when Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu resigned, were given in a short press release—but his entourage has leaked to the press that if the parties don't agree to form a government that won't be immediately censured, he "will assume his responsibilities." In other words, he will call early legislative elections.

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1. Life is hard and often passes over those who boast the most. The end of the macronia He arrives with an unprecedented failure in history: a government that lasted just one day. The new prime minister, Sébastien Lecornu, in office since September 10, needed a month to form the executive and announced his resignation just when it was time to present it. Most of the new ministers were already ministers under François Bayrou. What could be expected again? Unable to reach an agreement with the center-left, the right, more divided than ever and increasingly cornered by the far right, lives in the dead end of neighborhood rivalries.

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The situation of instability where the Fifth French Republic is located (The country's fifth prime minister has resigned since Macron's victory in the April 2022 presidential elections, the third since the early legislative elections of July 2024) lends itself easily to caricature and laughter. This is especially true because Macron has repeatedly refused to entrust the formation of a government to the left, and has therefore appointed right-wing prime ministers close to him, arguing that this is a way of promoting stability. Inspectors Clouseau and Gadget, and Louis de Funès, hover over the scene.

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Sébastien Lecornu has decided to resign as Prime Minister of France.He did so the day after appointing the new French government and just 27 days after taking office. These are record numbers in the country's history, which has already seen five prime ministers change office in less than two years. What will happen now? Why do heads of government end up leaving office? What options does President Emmanuel Macron have?

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France is consolidating its position as a highly ungovernable territory. The political spectacle at the Élysée Palace this Monday opens a new page in the crisis of instability the country has experienced since last year's legislative elections, which left the National Assembly more fragmented than ever. Early in the morning, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu unexpectedly resigned, the day after announcing the names of the new government's ministers. Lecornu, a figure very close to Macron, went down in history as the prime minister with the fewest days in office, just 27. And his administration, as the shortest in history, lasting less than 24 hours. But in the afternoon, a new twist arrived: President Macron asked Lecornu, hours after accepting his resignation, to try again to form a government. Lecornu accepted and has 48 hours to reach a consensus on a government. "I have agreed, at the request of the President of the Republic, to hold final talks with the political forces to guarantee the stability of the country. On Wednesday evening, I will tell the head of state whether this is possible or not, so that he can draw all the necessary conclusions," the resigned prime minister explained to X. ~BK_SLT round of negotiations with the parties to see if he can secure the necessary support for a government that will not be censured and for a budget that requires broad parliamentary support for its approval. According to leaks to the press, the resigned prime minister will be in charge of leading the negotiations, but will not repeat as head of government.

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France is experiencing another day of chaos this Thursday due to the general strike called to protest the cuts intended by the previous government. Despite the change of prime minister—the Macronist Sébastien Lecornu was appointed last week to replace François Bayrou—unions and left-wing parties believe the new government will also include budget cuts. The strike is a warning for Lecornu. "It is the street that must write the budget, and if not, it will be Mr. Lecornu who will end up on the street," warned Sophie Binet, general secretary of the CGT.

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