Sebastien Lecornu, serving as the Prime Minister of France, announced the approval of the budget for 2026 without a parliamentary vote. This was reported by TASS.
“A budget is necessary for France. On behalf of the government, I take responsibility for the adoption of the budget bill for 2026 in accordance with part 3 of Article 49 of the Constitution,” he stated at a meeting of the National Assembly. After this, the Vice Chairman of the National Assembly, Sebastien Chenu, announced the conclusion of the discussion on the bill.
On Thursday, the Senate, representing the upper house of parliament, rejected the proposed budget for 2026. The minister responsible for public finances, Amelie de Montchalin, during the debates called the budget project "imperfect," but emphasized that it was the result of significant compromise among various political forces.
The budget bill for 2026 includes cuts in spending in almost all areas, except for the defense sector, where an increase in funding of €6.7 billion is planned.
In 2025, the state budget deficit was 5.4% of GDP, which negatively affected creditors' trust in France. The authorities intended to reduce the deficit to 4.7% in 2026, but after amendments were made under pressure from the opposition, this figure is expected to be at 5%.
