French Parliament Faces New Motions of Censure After 2026 Budget Passes via Article 49.3

On January 23, 2026, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu invoked Article 49.3 of the French Constitution to enforce the passage of the 2026 state budget without a parliamentary vote, sparking political controversy and provoking two fresh motions of censure from both leftist factions outside the Socialist Party and the far-right. These motions, debated on January 27 in the National Assembly, are widely anticipated to fail, allowing the budget to proceed to the Senate for further consideration.

The previous motions of censure had already been rejected; the leftist motion fell short by 19 votes with 269 against the required 288, while the far-right's motion received 142 votes. The Socialist Party distanced itself from the left's attempt, citing gains obtained in negotiations with the government, such as an eight-billion-euro increase in fiscal justice measures and a twelve-billion-euro boost in purchasing power compared to the initial proposal.

Criticism of the budget centers on claims that it sacrifices ecological priorities, features unprecedented cuts, and represents a democratic setback due to the use of Article 49.3. Both the far-left and far-right parties denounce the budget's failure to address the ongoing cost of living crisis and lack of structural reforms to ensure fiscal justice.

Financially, the 2026 budget allocates nearly 594 billion euros toward state missions, marking an increase of 11.5 billion euros over 2025 despite proposed savings. Notably, the "Financial Commitments of the State" mission rises by 4 billion euros, largely due to debt interest payments. The Ministry of Defense benefits from a substantial increase of more than 6 billion euros, totaling 66.5 billion euros in annual credits, while budget considerations for the Ministry of Labor are also underway, reflecting ongoing political negotiations.

If the Senate rejects the budget, it will return to the Assembly for a final reading, where Lecornu might resort once again to Article 49.3 for passage, marking a possible third use by Friday. This unfolding situation highlights ongoing tensions within French political circles over budgetary priorities, democratic processes, and social equity.